


Generational Lover

by Badrazel



Category: Naruto
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crushes, Cunnilingus, Dating, Drama, Drunken Confessions, F/M, Falling In Love, Family Drama, Feels, Flirting, Intimacy, MILFs, Nudity, Older Woman/Younger Man, Oral Sex, Romance, Secret Crush, Sex, Slow Burn, Unrequited Crush, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:01:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,803
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26466097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badrazel/pseuds/Badrazel
Summary: It began as a childhood crush. Now, Naruto is back home from college for the summer, and old feelings he thought were long gone resurface. If given the chance, could it become something more? Naruto x Mikoto, Modern AU
Relationships: Uchiha Mikoto/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 2
Kudos: 74





	1. Home Again

Naruto pulled up outside his childhood home, glancing around the old neighbourhood, feeling a pang of nostalgia. The summer break had finally come and he was excited to be back home from college. It had been several months since the last time he'd seen his mom, and even longer since he'd spent time with his high school friends, (other than Sasuke, whom he shared a student apartment with at their college). The street looked just as he'd expected it too, nothing had really changed, which was comforting. As excited as Naruto was to be branching out and becoming his own man, he was still deeply fond of this place and the memories it held for him. He recalled countless hours spent playing in the streets with his friends, getting up to all sorts of mild trouble. The memories brought a smile to the corner of his mouth.

Naruto stepped out of the car, shutting the door behind him gingerly, before walking around to the trunk and taking out his suitcase. Once the car was locked he turned and walked up the path toward his house. _Though I guess it's just mom's place now…_ he mused. His father had passed away not long after he was born, so it had been just him and his mom living there for as long as he could remember. Now that he was reaching the stage of life that he was leaving the nest, he often worried about her, hoping she wasn't lonely. Naruto was protective of everyone in his life, not least of which was his mom. She even had to convincing him to go to the college he had wanted, despite it being out of town, as he could hardly bare the thought of her being lonesome and sad without him.

Naruto considered knocking as he approached, then just tried the front door and found it was open. He called out as he stepped into the narrow hallway.

"Hey Mom! It's me!"

"Oh, that's him…", he heard his mother say to someone. "Just a second son!" He heard her shout from further in the house, probably the kitchen he guessed. He put down his case and kick off his shoes, and when he looked up, she was walking towards him.

"Welcome home hun!" Kushina said, wrapping her arms around him in an almost crushingly tight hug. Naruto laughed and hugged her back.

"Hi Mom. How are you?" He asked, managing to pull back from her strong grip just enough to look her in the eye.

"I'm good, same old same old to be honest. It's been far too quiet around here without you around." She joked. "How was the drive here? Oh! Would you like something to drink? It's so hot today." Kushina asked in a slightly scatterbrained manner. Naruto laughed. He'd missed her so much. Phone calls and texts just couldn't capture all of her quirky mannerisms.

"Sure Mom, just juice, or something cold at least. It went OK, the roads weren't too busy or anything." He replied.

"That's good. Come on in. Don't be shy, this is still your home." She said excitedly and lead him through to the kitchen.

"Here he is!" Kushina joked, waving her hands in his direction as he stepped into the modest kitchen. Naruto saw who his mother had been talking to. It was Mikoto Uchiha, Sasuke's mother. Thanks to Naruto and Sasuke's early, (and often tumultuous) friendship, the Uzumaki and the Uchiha matriarchs had also become quite close friends quickly. Since they were little the boys had stayed at each other's houses frequently, so much so that the door was almost always open for one family to visit the other.

"Oh hey Mikoto!" Naruto greeted her warmly. She sat at the kitchen table with a half drank cup of tea in front of her, steaming gently. She wore a business suit, with a dark blazer and knee length shirt, the same shade as her long raven hair. He felt a faint twinge of longing, and quickly squashed it.

"Hello Naruto." She replied politely, giving him a cheerful smile. "How's college?" she asked.

"It's good! Glad to be home though. How are you?" He asked, returning her smile.

"Oh I'm fine. I just finished work and thought I'd drop in to chat with your mom."

"Cool! How's Itachi doing? He's coming back home for the summer right?"

"Yes he's arranged some holiday time when Sasuke's back."

"Here you go hun." Kushina said, handing her son a glass filled with fresh, cold orange juice, droplets already condensing on the sides. She turned back to Mikoto. "You must be excited to have the boys home again."

"I can't wait to see them both. It hasn't been the same without them." Mikoto replied. Naruto thought he saw a hint of sadness in her smile.

"I know the feeling. Its too quiet around here without this one." Kushina pointed her thumb and tilted her head towards Naruto, making him chuckles.

"Well I'm glad to know I've been missed." He replied.

"How about you? Have you been homesick?" Mikoto asked him.

"Don't get me wrong, college is great, but yea I've missed this place. Both of you, and everyone from school."

"Aww well don't worry baby, mommy's always here to take care of you." Kushina said in an obnoxious baby voice, hugging Naruto all of a sudden. Mikoto almost spat out her tea laughing at his disgusted expression.

"Mom, stop it!" He cried, wriggling from her arms. She eventually let him go and they all laughed.

"And how is it living with Sasuke? He tells me your always making a mess…" Mikoto said with a twinkle of humour in her eye. His mother looked at him accusingly.

"Hey, hey that's not fair! I've gotten a lot better! I wash my own stuff and put it away, mostly. I even cook for us sometimes." Naruto bragged.

"He's complained about that too…" Mikoto added, making Kushina snort with laughter.

"Man, you're all ganging up on me…" He said in a jokingly defeated tone.

"Aww don't be like that." Kushina nudged him with her elbow, making him yelp and flinch. "So, met any girls there?" She asked with a chesire cat smile. Naruto rolled his eyes.

"No mom, nothing like that. One or two dates, but no girlfriends." He said.

"Well I'm sure a handsome young man like you will do very well in college." Mikoto complimented harmlessly, but it was enough to make Naruto feel butterflies.

"Uhm, thanks." He said trying his best to not go red. He turned to his mom. "Trust me mom, you'll be the first to know if I meet someone."

"Good, and bring her over to meet me!" She declared. Naruto smiled and made his way over to the fridge, feeling comfortable enough to go routing round for some snacks without asking. Kushina rolled her eyes, and then noticed Mikoto had finish her tea. "Would you like another?"

"No thank you, I'd best get home now. I'll let you both catch up." Mikoto said, standing up and grabbing her bag. Kushina stepped forward, closing the gap between her and Mikoto.

"Do you have another date tonight?" Naruto heard his mother ask in a quieter tone as he looked through the fridge. He subtly listened in.

"No, I cancelled it. He seemed too forward. Only interested in one thing." Mikoto rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, what an ass. Who knew it would be so hard to find a good man."

"I know. Itachi tells me I should get on one of those dating apps, but I'm not so sure. I just feel… I don't know, is it too late?" Mikoto asked with a depressed sigh that made Naruto have to force himself not to run over and hug her.

"No! We just have to sift through the bad ones to get to the worthwhile ones." Kushina joked, making Mikoto chuckle.

"I suppose so. Thank you Kushina. How's your love life? Anything on the horizon for you?" Mikoto asked.

"Not right now. It's tough... They always have such big shoes to fill…" Kushina said sadly, and it broke Naruto's heart. Mikoto reached out and hugged his mother for a few seconds, whispering something to her, then they parted.

"I best get going. I'll see you soon Kushina. Nice to see you again Naruto. Drop by sometime." The raven haired woman said smiling at him, almost causing him to drop the pack of ham he'd discreetly liberated from the fridge.

"Oh, sure, yea, great to see you again Mikoto." He garbled his words and watched her walk out of the kitchen, followed by his mother. He went back to the counter, making himself a sandwich while Mikoto and his mom's conversation rung in his head.

Naruto knew his mother had dated over the years. Some of the men he had met, and generally they had been decent enough, though he had high standards of anyone who wanted to date his mom. He wanted her to be happy of course, but he hadn't realized just how hard it was for her to find someone. Kushina came back a few moments later. Naruto quickly hid the pensive look on his face.

"So, you got any plans while you're back?" She asked nonchalantly.

"I was gonna meet up with the gang for some drinks tomorrow night. I thought I'd just hang here today to spend time with you tonight though." He said turning to smile back at her.

"Aww what a sweet boy." She joked, clearing the used mugs off the kitchen table.

"So… is Mikoto ok? She seemed kinda down just now?" Naruto asked as nonchalantly as he could.

"Yea she's ok, she's just been trying to get back into the dating scene recently and it hasn't been going well."

"Oh yea? That's a shame." He said quietly. He looked at his mom and paused before asking speaking. "What about you? Any luck?"

"Nothing in particular. It's like I was saying to Mikoto. Your dad left some big shoes to fill. I think I was very lucky to have my first love be someone as good as him, but he also set the bar pretty high." She uttered with a bittersweet smile. Naruto walked over and hugged her tightly.

"Sorry mom…" Naruto replied. He saw her smile become more genuine as she looked up at her son.

"It's ok. Come on, lets put your stuff in your room, then we'll think about what we're gonna do tonight. I was thinking we could order in some of your favourite ramen and watch a movie?" Kushina giggled as she watched her son grin brightly at her.

"You're the best mom ever!" He cheered. _It's good being home._

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Mikoto shut the door behind her and immediately took of her shoes, wincing as they slipped off her tender heels. She shrugged off her blazer and folded it over her forearm, then made her way to the living room. She slumped back onto the couch and sighed as she put her feet up.

It still felt quite strange to be living on her own. Even now, almost a year since Sasuke had left for college, she half expected to hear him and Itachi arguing upstairs, or to see them in the living room, greeting her. Now her home was eerily quiet. And empty. At first it had been something of a relief. It had been the first time in almost two decades that she had truly had the house to herself, and not having to worry about cooking, cleaning, washing and working for a family was a blessing, (as keeping two young boys fed and clean was sometimes a herculean task). And while those things were still true, she did find more and more that she longed for companionship.

Mikoto had divorced Sasuke and Itachi's father, Fugaku, when Sasuke was only five. They had begun courting when she was barely twenty, married shortly after, and those first few years we decent. But it became quickly apparent that things were not going to work between them. Fugaku was intelligent, had a good job, and could, when he chose to, be quite charming in social scenarios. But he was also cold with her, and decidedly unromantic. Work came before family increasingly often, and when it became known that he had been having an affair with one of his colleagues, that had been the last straw. Their separation had been mostly amiable, and the boys visited their father on weekends and special occasions, but for the most part it was the three of them at home. With Itachi being a few years older than his sibling he was able to help his mother somewhat by babysitting and doing chores, but inevitably she had to put her life on hold for her sons.

As the boys had gotten older Mikoto was able to branch out and reclaim more of her life outside of motherhood. Once Sasuke started high-school, she begun looking for a job. Business and number crunching had been interests of hers since her school days, so when she found an opening at a local accountancy, she was eager to apply, and over the moon when they did actually hire her. Her sons had even held a little party for her shortly after hearing the news. Her employer was able to give her flexibility to work enough hours a week, but still make it home to spend time with her sons. Despite being busier than ever, things went well for a while. The only thing that was missing was someone to share her life with.

Mikoto dated every so often, mostly people she was said up with through her friends at work, but none of them had really went anywhere. A few men she'd met had been pretty nice on the surface, but after dealing with Fukagu's adultery, she had developed a pretty good bull-shit detector.

_He's put-off that I have kids…_

_He wants a housewife…_

_He just wants sex…_

Her intuition would pick up on these things quickly and then she'd shut down any future dates. _Maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic._ Was it too much to want a partner who wanted her for who she was? Mikoto sighed and looked around the room. _Take a bath, make something easy for dinner. Just unwind. No use worrying about it._ As she stood up she wondered if Kushina had been right, and that she just needed to hang on, and wade through the bad men until she found one who was right for her. Someone who was her other half. Perhaps they could be just around the corner…

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

"Yo, Naruto!" Kiba shouted over the clamor of the bar with a wide grin. He waved towards Naruto and the rest of the gang turned excitedly to see him. Rock, Neji, Hinata, Sakura, and Ino. They all whooped and cheered as he made his way across the bar.

"Hey guys!" He called back to the group, waving at them.

"There he is!" Rock cried, handing him a drink.

"How have you been Naruto? How's college?" Hinata asked, looking at him attentively.

"It's been fun. Sasukes a little hard to live with sometimes but he keeps me in check." He joked.

"You two use to kick each other's ass when one of you lost at a video game. I can't see you two being civil." Neji added with a smirk.

"No one can keep you in check, you must drive him up the wall." Sakura teased.

"Hey you don't know that! Maybe he's the bad roommate." He argued, not very convincingly. The whole group looked at each other incredulously and laughed. Naruto frown faded and he joined in, then went around and hugged each person in turn.

Naruto was keen to catch up with everyone again, and they all immediately fell into their old in jokes like he'd never been away. But for all the enjoyment Naruto was having, he was distracted that night, and becoming even more so as the night went on. His thoughts were drifting, and at a certain point, after he'd had several strong drinks, he was almost completely in his own world, sometimes missing whole conversations. He wasn't sure why he felt like this at first, but that wasn't completely true. He knew exactly why. It was Mikoto. He kept thinking about the conversation they had yesterday when he arrived home. How she had seemed so disappointed at her dating life, and feeling lonely now without her sons at home. It made Naruto's heart ache to think of her being sad.

In truth, Naruto was fond of Mikoto. Very fond. Probably more than you should be about your best friend's mother. _When did it start?_ He thought idly. He couldn't remember exactly. Sometime in his early teens for sure. There was a certain point were his view of her had just changed. She had been a lot of things to him over the years. A friend, a teacher, and in some ways even like a parental figure. But as he grew up he began to see her differently. His eyes would linger on her, unable to resist stealing glances at the gentle curves of her slim figure. If she looked at him, his stomach would flip and his palms would sweat. And late at night, when he was fantasizing about girls from school, or models from magazines, his thoughts would almost always drift towards her. Imagining what she looked like naked. How her body would feel against his. How she'd sound, and taste and...

"Hey Naruto." Naruto almost fell from his stool, suddenly noticing Rock leaning up close to him. "Spacing out already? You've really become a light weight!" Rock said playfully.

"You're one to talk! I had to carry you back to your place after Sakura's birthday party last year!" Naruto joked, catching his stride with the group again. They both laughed.

"Fine fine, you got me. I'm getting the next round. You want another?" Rock asked, slurring his words.

"Uhm, yea sure, thanks." Naruto replied, giving him a smile. As Rock left to go to the bar, he nursed the last dregs of his current beer while his thoughts drifted back to Mikoto again.

 _Come on man, forget it, why are you so hung up on a stupid teenage crush?_ Naruto tried to reason with himself, but it wasn't much good. He had always lived with his heart on his sleeve, and if there was one thing anyone could say about him, it was that he cared for the people around him to a fault. _Because she's a great person! She's deserves to be happy and to have someone appreciate her._ But what did that matter to him? It was Mikoto's life, he had no say in it. And he could hardly convince someone to feel for her like he did. _Does no-one see how great she is?_ She was a wonderful mother and thoughtful friend. Like his own mom, she'd had her fair share of ups and downs in life, from her divorce with Fugaku, to simply supporting a household on her own, not to mention the drama from Sasuke's rough teen years. But she had come through it all with dignity and her head held high. She had a good heart, but also a strength deep down that Naruto admired. _I would appreciate the hell out of a woman like her…_

As the night wore on, he tried to engage more with his friends, laughing and joking, making himself the centre of attention as he was known to do. But his drink addled brain seemed to betray him, and conjured more ideas about Mikoto. Ones that, due to his inebriated state, he found quite compelling. _You would be better than anyone else she could meet. Who else cares about her like you do? Maybe she wouldn't feel the same, but she could do far worse than you._ But that's the problem. She would never choose him, a boy she'd watched grow up along with her youngest son. _But you're not a kid now. And you didn't always feel like this._ True, he had once only thought of her innocently, but then, things had changed as he grew up. So, might it be possible for her view on him to change? Why not? Maybe he was old enough that she didn't have to see him as a boy, or as her friend's son. He could show her the man he was now. He could be the man she deserved.

_"Nice to see you again Naruto. Drop by sometime..."_

The rest of the night passed in a blur of drinking and banter, with Naruto finally finding his grove and becoming the life of the party, all the while thoughts of Mikoto smouldering in the back of his mind.


	2. Confession

Mikoto smiled, content with her day's work as she reclined on the sofa, snuggled up in her favourite bath robe, sipping her wine. She hummed with approval at the taste, then set the glass down and picked up a book, flicking through to the page she was last reading.

She had spend the majority of the day after work cleaning the house, focusing particularly on preparing her son's old rooms, and was more than happy to reward herself for the effort. Itachi's bedroom was empty now, all of his personal effects taken with him when he left home, save for his old double bed. Sasuke's room still had some nick-nacks lying around. Posters of bands, a stack of assorted DVDs, a handful of clothes he hadn't taken to college. She had changed the sheets on the beds for the first time in a while, gave their floors a vacuuming and thoroughly dusted the empty shelves and window sills until she was satisfied.

Afterwards Mikoto had made herself a modest meal for the evening. A bowl of soup and two slices of thick crusty bread. Something quick and easy to prepare, but still filling enough. Finally, she had some paperwork she needed to take care of. A colleague of hers had asked if she wouldn't mind giving a few documents a second pass, to make sure everything was right. At the time Mikoto had said it was no problem, as she generally was happy to help out where she could, though she regretted it when they had passed her a folder that was practically overflowing with pages. _This is more than just "a few."_ _You have to learn too say no sometimes._ She had put on a smile and taken the extra work, ensuring them that she'd get them done, but knowing her evening was almost certainly going to be consumed by it. She sat at the dining room table for an hour and a half after her dinner, checking, highlighting and annotating various passages in the uninteresting documents that she spotted need to be amended.

Once she was finished, she had checked the clock, pleasantly surprised. 9:12 PM. She hadn't expected to get them done that fast. _Still some time left before bed._ Mikoto put the papers back in the folder, poured herself a generous glass of wine, and went to the living room. The dishes could wait till tomorrow. For now, she was going to relax and enjoy a well earned rest.

Reading had always been one of her favourite pass times, often being her first choice of activity when the boys were occupied or mercifully, asleep. She found that there was nothing like losing yourself in a story. And it was even better when you had nothing to distract you either. _See? Being on your own has it's perks._

Whether it was all the work she'd put in that day, or the wine, or perhaps both, about three-quarter's of an hour into her reading, she could feel her eyes beginning to get heavy. She had to read, then re-read every other sentence for it to make sense. Mikoto sat up a little straighter, shaking her head and opening her eyes wide. _A few more pages, then bed._ She barely made it to end of the current paragraph she was reading before she nodded off.

Suddenly, she jolted back to conciousness. She blinked and looked around. There was a slow, heavy knock at the front door. She looked at the clock on the wall. 11:47 PM. _Who the hell could be knocking at this time?_ Sasuke? Itachi? No, they weren't supposed to be here for another week. Mikoto picked the book from her lap, put it down on the table and gingerly made her way through the living room to the passage. She glanced towards the front door, and could barely make out the silhouette of a tall, seemingly masculine figure through the frosted glass. Her heart raced as she flicked the light passageway lights on.

"Hello? Who is it?" She called out, trying to hide her growing concern. There was a pause. The figure seemed to startle, reacting slowly to her voice.

"Hey, its me…" She heard a familiar voice slur from beyond the door. She frowned and partially relaxed.

"Naruto?"

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Kiba fell out of the back of the taxi, and Naruto barely managed to catch him. Kiba yelped in pain as he knee scraped on the pavement, then laughed hysterically. Naruto stifled his laughter as he turned to pay the driver.

"Oh shit we payed already on the app right?" Naruto muttered, just about intelligible. The driver nodded, looking vaguely amused and not a little impatient. Naruto turned and shuffled out of the car, manoeuvring clumsily around Kiba who was still prone on the ground. "Thanks for the ride!" He shouted and slammed the car door shut a little harder than he had meant too, muffling the colorful exclamation the driver gave in return. The car pulled away as Naruto helped pull his friend to his feet.

"Shit these were new!" Kiba said looking down at the tear in his jeans. He looked back at Naruto, and both of them almost fell about laughing again. "Dude I've missed you so much, it's not the same here without you!"

"I've missed you and gang too!" Naruto agreed as they put there arms over one another's shoulders.

"I can't believe you convinced Rock to get up on the table and sing. It wasn't even a karaoke bar!" They chuckled as they walked up the path carefully, the shallow incline towards the house feeling far more treacherous than usual in their drunken state. Naruto glanced at his friend, then forward again.

"Hey man…can I ask you something?" Naruto said, trying to sound serious, though the volume of his voice fluctuated with each word.

"Sure..." Kiba replied, wobbling his way along the path against his friend.

"...there's someone I like…but I don't think it can work"… Naruto said cautiously. Kiba grinned at him stupidly.

"You met someone at college?" He asked.

"Not really… I've known her for a while. She's awesome but… I'm not sure she'd ever be into me… it would be complicated…" Naruto answered carefully. "Should I even bother?" Kiba looked comically thoughtful, squinting into the distance like a wise old sage about to produce profound wisdom.

"If you like her dude, you gotta go for it. Nothin's gonna happen if you don't try." He answered. Naruto exhaled. That persuasive voice in his head reared up again. _Exactly! Kiba's right, you gotta go for it…_

"I guess so. Thanks, oh wise one." Naruto said with a mock bow. Kiba gasped, then looked at his friend incredulously.

"It's Hinata isn't it? I knew you were still into her!" He exclaimed. Naruto laughed and shook head. "That's why you were so quiet earlier right?"

"No it's not like…"

"Dude its cool, I get it, she's cute. She's still single so you should ask her out. I bet she's still into you too." Kiba said excitedly. Naruto laughed.

"We'll see…" He said in a evasive manner. They reached Kiba's front door intact, save for Kiba's jeans. The brunette fumbled in his pocket for his keys then turned to Naruto.

"Sure you don't wanna spend the night? My parents'll be cool with it." He offered.

"It's cool man, I can walk home."

"Ok dude, take care." Kiba hugged his friend. "It was sweet seeing you. We all need to do this again before you go again."

"Sure man, any time."

The two parted and said goodbye as Naruto stumbled his way back down the path at odd angles, then waved as Kiba staggered through the doorway, greeted by enthusiastic barks from his family dog, Akamaru. Naruto turned, teetering down the street. His mom's house was only a few streets over from Kiba's, no more than ten minutes walking. He wobbled this way and that, propping himself up against garden fences as he made his way home. He thought about Hinata. They had been close for a long time, with many of their friends thinking the pair would inevitable get together. Not long before leaving for college, things were on the verge of getting serious between them, but they held off, both knowing it was probably better to not start dating if they couldn't actually see each other often. _Maybe now was the perfect time to start up with her?_ But now there was something else stopping him… _Mikoto_

His stomach churned painfully as he rounded the corner to go down another street. _God what an idiot. I have a great girl like Hinata interested in me and I'm obsessed with a woman twice my age._ Once he had went off to college, Naruto had finally been able to stop thinking about Mikoto so much, for the first time in god knows how long. When he was at home, he would see her almost everyday, so there was little reprieve from the fantasies creeping into his head. But with all the work he had to do and the new setting he found himself in, he was able to bury those feelings, and after a few months he barely thought about it at all. However, the moment he saw her in his mom's kitchen yesterday, it all came flooding back. _How the hell does she do this to me?_ It was like all she had to do was smile at him and he'd melt, reverting back to a teenage boy, besotted by her.

Naruto's stomached ached again, and he paused, leaning up against a wall nearby, waiting for the world to come back into focus. _Shoulda stayed at Kiba's._ He hadn't even realized that he could barely see where was going. He must have just been walking back home on instinct. Though, once the world righted itself, he realized this wasn't his street at all. It was Sasuke's. He looked about and saw Mikoto's house down the road. _You're so obsessed with her that you're walking here on auto-pilot, idiot!_ He thought harshly. The lights were on downstairs. That was good, because he wasn't sure he wasn't going to make it back home. He felt the world tilt again, blurring, then returning into focus. The last thing he wanted was for Mikoto to see him in a state like this. It would almost certainly take the chances of him successfully wooing her from impossibly slim, to zero. But right now she was his only option. It was that or call his mom to pick him up, and she would be pissed. She was terrifying when she was angry. _And if you go to Mikoto's, you could tell her…_

That convincing voice spoke again, this time laced with the advice Kiba had given him. If Naruto was every going to get over this, he had to ask her, had to find out if there was any possibility of… something, between them. If there was fallout afterwards, if Sasuke wanted to kick his ass, or his mother wanted to scold him, then that was something he'd deal with when it came. _Once you get this out of the way you can forget about it once and for all. Move on. Ask Hinata out and be happy._ He propped himself up, took a deep breath of the cold evening air, felt it sting his lungs, and started moving again, walking ungainly towards the Uchiha household.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Mikoto walked up to the door perplexed. _Why is he here at this time?_

"Is everything ok?" She shouted through the door, feeling only some of the tension leave her. She fumbled at the hooks on the wall to her left where her keys hung. Naruto didn't reply. She quickly unlocked the door and opened it. Naruto stood there, one hand leaning against the door frame. He wore an orange button down shirt and a black jacket, with dark jeans. The shirt looked rumbled, and had some stains on the front indicating that something had been spilled on it. He looked at her for a about five seconds before smiling dumbly and finally speaking.

"Hey Mikoto." He slurred. Mikoto smelt his breath from a few feet away and winced.

"Are you drunk?" She asked, eyeing him up.

"Uhm… yea, sorry to bother you…" He muttered, his eyes struggling to focus on hers.

"Are you alright?" She was beginning to feel worried again.

"Yea I just…" He garbled his words and had to say them a few times to be understood. "I was heading home after drinking with the guys from school and I'm not feeling too great…"

"Ok come inside, I think you need some water." She said, watching him as he hesitantly stepped through the threshold. He almost tumbled face first but Mikoto thankfully managed to catch him just in time. There had been a time when she had been able to carry him and Sasuke in each days were clearly long gone. _God he's heavy._ She lifted him to his feet, shut the door with one hand then guided him to the living room, helping him sit onto the couch where she had been sleeping previously. "I'll go get you some water, you stay their." She said, watching him blink in acknowledgement as she walk briskly to the kitchen.

Naruto watched her leave the room. _What the hell am I doing here?!_ He panicked internally. He was full of bravado outside, thinking that he'd be able to confess his undying, teenage love to her, and now that he was actually here, and was talking to her, he realized just how terrified he was. What could he even say? _Hey Mikoto, you're rocking that bath robe. I know you're old enough to be my mom but you're super hot so wanna get something to eat sometime?_ He snorted and shook his head. This was all so stupid. He buried his face in his hands, feeling embarrassed without anyone even being in the room. _What a loser._

Thankfully this wasn't Mikoto's first time looking after a drunken teen, as both Itachi and Sasuke had come home in similar states on occasion. She poured a glass full with cold water and took it quickly back Naruto, who was looking off into the distance as though deep in thought. He reacted slowly to her re-entering the room and gave her a flustered smile.

"Here you go, sip it, don't drink it all at once." She said, sitting besides him on the couch. She watched as he slowly drank the water and sighed.

"Thank you, sorry to barge in…" He mumbled.

"It's fine, you just scared me. I thought there was a burglar outside." She said with a chuckle.

"Aww man I didn't mean to freak you out. Ugh this is all going wrong…" He whined childishly, his head falling backwards and looking up at the ceiling. Mikoto was about to ask what he meant, but then realized that Kushina might be wondering where he was.

"You know what, I'll text you're mom, tell her you're here and safe. She might not be up this late." Mikoto said, picking up her phone from the living room table and quickly typed a message.

Naruto looked at her in surprise, and thought about stopping her, but knowing she was right and that he should let his mom know where he was. She had no sooner put the device down when it started ringing. Mikoto smirked at Naruto and picked it up again. "Someone's in trouble." She teased. Naruto shrank back in the chair. "Hello?… Yes he's fine, just a little drunk and it seems he came here by mistake instead of going home…" She laughed and looked at him while speaking. "No nothing like that, at least, not yet. I'll give him a bucket if he needs it… No really, you know what, it's fine, he can just stay here… yes of course, there's plenty of space, Itachi's old room is a guest bedroom now so I can just put him in there… It's not a problem, I'm off work tomorrow so there's no rush, I'll sent him back to you when he's feeling up to it… Ok… Yes I will, Ok, goodnight Kushina. Bye." She put down the phone and smirked at Naruto.

"What did she say?" He slurred.

"She was a little annoyed, and told me to tell you to say thank you, and to apologize for being a nuisance." She couldn't help but enjoy the pitiful look on his face. He put a hand on the back of his head and scratched his scalp in a self-comforting gesture.

"I am really sorry Mikoto, I didn't mean to cause you any trouble. I just got it in my head that it would be a good thing to come here and…" Mikoto frowned as he spoke. He stopped talking and looked away.

"So… you meant to come here?" She asked, bemused.

"I… well yea, I ended up here by accident, but I'd wanted to come by anyway…" He grumbled, looking anywhere other than at her.

"Why, especially at midnight? You know Sasuke isn't here yet right?" She asked, getting a little worried that maybe he'd fallen and bumped his head along the way home.

"I know I know, I came to…" His voice faltering before the end.

"Sorry, what was that?" Mikoto asked, leaning closer. Naruto inhaled deeply and looked at her.

"I came to see you." Mikoto squinted at him and half smiled.

"Why? What's going on Naruto? Are you alright?" She shifted a little closer to him, trying to get a better look at his face. Naruto's eyes went wide as she leaned forward. Her pale skin reflected the light in the room, giving her an almost heavenly glow, and her dark hair spilled down her shoulders in a slightly messy, yet painfully attractive way, framing her lovely face. _She's gorgeous..._

"Yea it's just…" He knew he had to do it now. His head was getting clearer every minute and he mightn't ever be able to say it sober. He summoned up every bit of courage he had, most of which was currently supplied by alcohol. _Come on, Kiba was right, you gotta do it. You've asked tons of girls out before, this is no different, other than it being your bestfriend's mom..._ That thought didn't help.

Naruto wavered for a moment, then spoke, sounding surprisingly far more eloquent that he had been doing previously.

"When you were at my mom's yesterday, and you were talking about dating and stuff, I just couldn't stop thinking, "Mikoto's so great, any guy would be lucky to be with her." I think you deserve someone who really cares for you and thinks the world of you. So I guess…. I was wondering… if you'd like to go on a date sometime... with me?" He said, the words spilling out faster than he had meant them too. He felt his heart thump in his chest, the pace increasing as her dark eyes observed him. She gave no hint of a reaction as they sat in silence for what felt like an eternity. He wanted nothing more than for the couch to swallow him right then and their. Then, a smile began to creep across Mikoto's face.

"You really are drunk huh?" She giggled. "Oh my god I wish I had recorded that for your mom!" She said trying to compose herself. Naruto looked at her like she grew a second head. _She thinks I'm joking._

"No, Mikoto really. I like you. I always have. I wanna date you." His glassy eyed, drunken expression seemed to fall away suddenly.

Naruto looked at her with frightening seriousness. _Oh god, he means it._ She had heard him make all sorts of promises in his life. He was always outspoken about the things he wanted to achieve, and the things he believed in. Mikoto knew Naruto well enough that when he felt something strongly, he would set himself towards it one hundred percent. That look he gave her was proof enough that this was one of those moments. He really did want to date her. She took a few moments to find the words she needed, pressing her lips together as his gaze seared into her.

"That's very flattering Naruto, really, but that's not something we can do. I hope you understand…" She'd said diplomatically. She watched as a meloncholy smile crept on his face, and he sunk deflated back into the chair.

"It's ok, I knew it was a long shot, I just... couldn't let the chance slip by, you know." Mikoto couldn't recall ever seeing his face so red. He reached for the back of his head and scratched it again. "Sorry for being weird." He muttered, seeming to revert back into his drunken stupor. Mikoto looked at his face carefully. She smiled and reached out to hold his hand.

"It's alright. I'm sure you can do a lot better than me Naruto anyway." She said trying to change the subject, and his gaze snapped straight to hers.

"No way! I wish I could find someone half as good as you! You're the best!" He exclaimed, flailing his arm wildly. She could only laugh and shake her head.

"I think you need to sleep this off mister." He seemed to huff slightly at that, then his face changed to display abject panic.

"Please don't tell Sasuke or my mom what I said!" He blurted out suddenly.

"It's ok, don't worry, it stays between us." She said soothingly. That seemed to calm him down somewhat. She looked down at his shoes. "Here, let me get those off, and I'll hang your jacket." Mikoto helped him remove the articles of clothing, (doing most of the work while he clumsily shifted this way and that), then took them through to the hallway.

_I like you. I always have._ That had certainly been a surprise to hear. Maybe it was just the drink. Maybe he didn't realize what he was saying, or who he was saying it too. But that look. The way his sapphire eyes had practically burned into her… _Has he really been attracted to me? And for how long?_ Mikoto hung his jacket and neatly placed his shoes beside the door, then went back to the living room. When she came back, Naruto was fast asleep, snoring softly. She could only smile at him, his face a picture of bliss as he slumped awkwardly across the arm of the couch. _He's a bit too big to be carried now._ She thought, wondering how she was going to get him upstairs.


	3. The Morning After

_I wanna date you._

The words rang in his head as he slowly came back to conciousness. Did he meet a girl last night? Who had he said that too? Hinata? No, she was there, but the words came later. He opened his eyes and was initially confused. He didn't usually wear anything to bed, and he was still in his shirt and jeans. And this bedroom wasn't his childhood room. It looked familiar though. The last time he'd been here, their were posters on the walls of rock bands, movies, and obscure artwork. The walls were bare now, no ornaments on the empty shelves, and the bed had plain white sheets on it. This had been Itachi's room at one point.

_Aww shit…_

Naruto jolted up and winced as his head throbbed from the sudden movement. He remembered it now, or at least most of it anyway. The embarrassing parts had been record in pristine quality, of course, as the mind tends to do. He rubbed his temple and gingerly shifted his legs from out of the covers and looked for his phone, trying to ignore the ringing in his head. He found it on the night stand beside him. It displayed the time in bright white numbers that made him squint. 10:34 AM. Not too late, by his standards at least. He got up gingerly, avoiding the thankfully empty bucket placed beside the bed. He steadying himself on the bed frame, and walked to the door, opening it slowly and poking his head out.

He was immediately struck by two things. A radio playing some smooth 80's pop music from downstairs, and the divine smell of cooked meat that accompanied it. _Mikoto's up._ His stomach grumbled. Usually there was very little that would stand between Naruto and a cooked meal, but right then he hesitated. How would Mikoto react to him this morning? She seemed amiable last night, as far as he could remember, but he knew it must of have been more than a little awkward to have her son's friend drunkenly ask her out. He could hardly stay hidden up here however, so, taking a deep breath, he opened the door and made his way down to the kitchen.

The sounds and smells became stronger as he approached the kitchen. Naruto could pick out Mikoto's voice amongst the sizzling food and soft music. She was humming along to the tune on the radio, mouthing a few words here and there, but mostly concerning herself with the cooking. Her hair was in a loose ponytail, and she had some sweat pants and an oversized t-shirt on with an apron over the top. _Even like this she's cute as hell,_ he thought. He wasn't quite as stealthy as he thought he was being however, and she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. She did a double take, smiling as she noticed him flinch behind the door frame.

"Good morning. Hungry? I've made enough for us both. Well, more than enough. I know what you're like." Mikoto teased. Naruto walked in slowly, putting on a smile that failed to hide how nervous he felt.

"Morning. Sleep ok?" He asked, tiptoeing around the elephant in the room.

"Oh yes, I slept well. I woke up later than usual, mostly because I had to stay up late taking care of you." She said with a mocking scowl, without any trace of real annoyance. Naruto felt his cheeks flush as he pulled out a chair at the dinning table.

"Yea, so sorry about that…" He mumbled.

"It's fine, you should have seen the states I've had Itachi and Sasuke come home in. God those boys just don't know when to stop." She said shaking her head. "How are you? Sleep ok? Hungover at all?" Naruto found he couldn't remember what time it was when he'd went to bed, but it had been a night of undisturbed, dreamless sleep. As for his head, the ringing had subsided, and the thumping in his temples was mercifully softer now, though still present.

"Not too bad all things considered. I'll probably feel better after some breakfast." He said.

"That's good. They boys always felt better having something greasy the next day." Mikoto said, pulling out two plates from a cupboard above her and beginning to separate the food she'd made between them. The plate she filled for Naruto was stacked noticeably higher. Once she was done, she carried them over, placing one in front of him and herself. Now he could see the full spread she had prepared. Crispy sausages and bacon. Perfectly fried eggs in almost symmetrical circles. Golden hash browns. Beans and toasted slices of thick brown bread. _She's an actual angel._ He could have married her then and there.

"Thanks again, I'm sorry I put you through the trouble of cooking but this looks amazing!" He said, picking up his fork, taking for a moment to choose where to start and deciding to go with a piece of bacon.

"Don't worry about it. I've had some of this stuff in the freezer for a while so it's nice to use it. Feels good to cook a meal for more than one." Mikoto said, taking a bite of her toast. Naruto hummed in approval at the taste. Unless Sasuke cooked for them at college, he mostly feasted on microwave meals. Having something home cooked by his mom or Mikoto was a real treat.

"So, what happened last night? I don't remember going to Itachi's room." Naruto admitted after a swallowing his food.

"I managed to wake you up and you were just present enough for me to help you up the stairs." She said with a grin, watching him shrink in his chair. He honestly couldn't remember it. _Good. Plenty of other stuff to be embarrassed about already._ They sat in silence as they slowly ate their breakfast. Naruto's stomach and head gradually started to settle part of the way through his meal. Eventually his curiosity lead him to be the first to bring up the night before.

"Uhm… About last night. I'm sorry. About what I said. I know it was probably uncomfortable to hear that." Naruto said ashamedly. She smiled and reached across the table, placing her hand on top of his.

"It's ok Naruto. It's water under the bridge, really. You don't have to worry about it and we don't have to talk about it again if you don't want." She said comfortingly.

"Thanks, I'd understand if you were uncomfortable about it, or with me." He mumbled.

"I'm not, its fine really, everyone does things like this when they've had a bit too much to drink." He looked at her hand on his for a few moments, then met her gaze.

"I don't want you to think that was it something I said though, like I was just giving you a compliment. I meant it. Sincerely." They sat in silence for a long time, Naruto staring at his plate, while she watched him carefully.

"So…how long have you felt this way?" Mikoto eventually asked curiously. Naruto thought for a moment while chewing.

"I guess it's been since… since I was like, twelve, thirteen maybe." He admitted sheepishly. She chuckled.

"Wow, really? Was I your first crush?" She teased light-heartedly. Naruto's face went a deep shade of red that made her feel instantly bad for teasing him.

"Yea, I guess so." He said quietly. There was silence again.

"I never did anything… inappropriate, when you were younger to make you feel this way, did I?" She asked nervously.

"No! No way, you've done nothing wrong! It's just like…. you're so cool! You're caring and you've always been so kind to me and my mom. You're beautiful…" She rolled her eyes and smiled, feeling her cheeks flush. "I guess its like, when I think about wanting to be with someone, and what I'd like from a relationship... I always think of you." It was her turn to blush this time.

"Naruto… if I wasn't your friend's mother, and if I was twenty years younger, I think I'd jump at the chance to date a young man like you."

"But…" He interjected with sad smile. She nodded.

"Those things are very real obstacles given our circumstances. Our relationship isn't one we can take in that direction. We're just not… compatible." She said, slowly giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You ok?" She asked tenderly. He nodded.

"Yea. Honestly I didn't expect you to say yes or anything… God I'm so embarrassed." He laughed, feeling more relaxed as her thumb fanned back and forth across his knuckles, making his arm tingle.

"Don't be. It's not everyday I get someone saying such nice things about me." Mikoto admitted.

"Well, you deserve it. You should get to hear stuff like that everyday." Naruto said with a smile, his eyes failing to meet hers. She looked at him curiously.

"Why do you say that?"

"Cause it's true. When you were talking to my mom the other day, I just hated hearing you say how hard it was to find someone. You should be with someone, and they would be so, so lucky to be with you."

"You're so sweet Naruto. If there were more people like you the world would be a better place. It makes me wish I was your age again." She said, idly moving the food on her plate with her fork. Naruto smiled.

"I think if you were my age you'd be fighting off all the guys." He replied playfully.

"Now you're laying it on a bit thick." She said raising an eyebrow. He smirked, feeling a little awkward and continued with his breakfast. At least the tension was diffused now, and that pang in his chest he felt whenever he looked at Mikoto had all but subsided. _It's done. She said no. You can move on and forget about it now._

They made small talk about this and that while finishing off their delicious breakfast. Once his plate was cleared, Naruto looked at Mikoto.

"Sorry again about putting you out." He said for the umpteenth time.

"Don't worry about it, I'm gonna have my boys back soon enough so this is nothing. You know the kind of hell they can raise." She joked.

"So, you got any plans this week?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"No, Sasuke is back next Saturday I believe, and Itach the day after. I had a date coming up the day after tomorrow, but I cancelled it." She said.

"Oh." He replied dumbly.

He felt it again. That longing crept back into his chest, subtly, almost without him realizing. If before it had been a roaring fire, now it was just a single candle igniting in the dark. But it was there.

 _Don't do it,_ he begged himself.

"Well, look… I've gotta make this," he gestured to the plates in front of them, "up to you. How about I take you to dinner sometime?" Naruto asked innocently. Mikoto raised an eyebrow and a smile tugged at the corner of her lip.

"Is this a sneaky way to get me out on a date with you?" She asked in an accusingly playful manner.

"No! I mean, I just feel like I owe you for being so cool about this, and letting me crash here."

"You don't owe me anything. You and your mother are important to me. I'm always happy to have you here."

"I know, but I still kinda made an ass of myself. And I made you stay up late, make me food, and, you know, I'm expensive to feed." He joked. She nodded, laughing. "At least let me take you dinner to pay you back. Nothing weird, just friends hanging out."

"You're not going to let this go are you?" She asked smirking at him. Of course he wouldn't. This is Naruto. He doesn't let anything go. He didn't let Sasuke go even when he fell in with the bad crowds during his teens. All his other friends had given up on him, but Naruto hadn't. _And I'll never stop being grateful for that._ "Fine." She relented. Naruto's smile dropped and he stared at her.

"R-really?"

"Yes, really. You can take me to dinner. I have no plans coming up till the boys are home." Mikoto added. She watched Naruto's face light up and almost split in half with a massive grin.

"That's great! You'll have a great time I promise! Is there anywhere in particular you want to go?" He asked, trying his best to act coolly. She thought for a moment.

"There's an Italian place near my work I've been interested in trying. Sound good?" She asked.

"Sure! How about we meet their sometime?" He said excitedly.

"Well we could do the day after tomorrow, since that's free now. I could just meet you there after work." She said, working out when she'd be free.

"Cool yea, that sounds good to me." He said, his face beaming. She couldn't help be smile back at his expression. _He's gotten so handsome…_ she thought all of a sudden.

Naruto looked down at his phone. 11:23 AM. He knew he had to get going and check in with his mom, and no doubt feel her wrath. He wasn't looking forward to it.

"I had better get home now. Thanks again for everything, and sorry about last night." He said one last time.

"Well you can make it up to me at dinner." Mikoto said with a teasing wink. He felt heat pool in his stomach. She stood and took the plates over to the sink as he went towards the door.

"I'll see you on Monday then?" Naruto asked once more, to be sure.

"Yep, I'll see you then." She said, following him to the front door. He slipped on his shoes and jacket, then opened the door and turned to wave at her. They said goodbye and he heard the door close behind him. He couldn't believe it. He was going on a date with Mikoto. Sort of. Not really, but it was something. A small win. Nothing would happen afterwards of course, but at least he could live out a little dream of dating her, and possibly get this out of his system. He walked home with a spring in his step, almost forgetting entirely about the impending threat of his mother's fury.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Mikoto washed the dishes, thinking about Naruto. She would have never guessed any of… that… was going to happen last night. _Well at least someone finds you attractive._ She laughed. That had been the most polite, respectful request to date she'd received in a long time, and it came from her best friend's drunken son. _Life really knows how to throw you for a loop, huh?_ She hoped his feeling weren't hurt by her rejection. He had certainly seemed in decent spirits when he left, so that was good. Naruto had definitely matured in recent years, even from the last time she'd seen him months ago. Mikoto had never known his father, Minato, but through pictures she'd seen been shown by Kushina, she could tell his father's handsome features were coming through nicely. His boyish face had developed, and his now strong jaw line made him look rather distinguished. He was taller than her now too, his lanky body had filled out into an attractive, athletic frame…

Mikoto suddenly realized she had been scrubbing the same plate for about five minutes, and it couldn't possibly get any cleaner. She put it down on the rack and drained the sink, looking around the empty kitchen. _What have I let myself in for?_


	4. The First (Not) Date

Naruto cautiously opened the front door, peering inside, then tip toeing his way into the house. His mom's car was on the driveway, but there was no sign of her as far as he could tell. _Maybe she's went for a run or something._ He thought that maybe if he could sneak up to his room he might be able to avoid the worst of his mom's anger. Once again however, he was less stealthy than he thought.

"Ahem…" He jumped at the sound of Kushina clearing her throat. She appeared at the top of the stairs, glowering at him. "So, want to explain yourself?" She said in an even tone. It was so much worse when she didn't shout.

"Hey mom…" He stuttered. "Sorry if I made you worry…" She cut him off.

"Look, you're an adult now, if you wanna go drinking with your friends, you can do it all you like. All I'll ever ask is that you handle it and don't let it become a problem, for you, or someone else…" She started stomping down the stairs towards him. "Why did you even go to Mikoto's?" She asked sternly. Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know. I got out of the taxi at Kiba's, then tried walking back here, but I guess I just went there without thinking. He offered to let me spend the nght at his place, but I turned him down. I should of just stayed there, I'm sorry." He muttered ashamedly. Kushina put her hands on her hips and sighed.

"At least you're still in one piece… I hope you apologized to Mikoto."

"I did, she was really cool about it. She even made breakfast for us this morning, so I'd buy her dinner after work on Monday to pay her back." His mom raised an eyebrow.

"Good. You weren't sick were you?"

"No I was ok. She gave me some water and I slept right through till this morning… Sorry mom…" She nodded, looking through him, then a slight smile tugged at her lips.

"Just be careful in future, ok?" She said softly, reaching forward and giving him a hug. The bittersweet tone in her voice stung him deeply. He hugged her back, then let her go.

"Go get a shower. You stink." She said with a smirk. He laughed.

"Will do." He went up the stairs as Kushina went into the living room.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto stood beneath the warm water, feeling the last of the grime from the previous day wash away. It wasn't often that he and his mom spoke about his dad. Time had made it easier to deal with, but even now, it was sometimes a sore subject for her. She had told Naruto how he had died when he was old enough to understand. He had been driving to work, when a drunk driver had swerved and struck Minato's car head on. Kushina had never precluded Naruto, or herself, from drinking when he and his friends had reached the appropriate age. But she had given him a serious talking too. Kushina had made it clear that he was responsible for himself and his actions, even if he was drunk, and that he absolutely had to be as safe as possible. He had taken it all to heart, realizing how serious and emotional the talk had made his mother. He knew she was more sensitive to alcohol related accidents than the average person. So she would've been understandably worried when she had gotten a text at the dead of night, saying her intoxicated son had wondered the streets and wound up at someone else's house. _I should make it up to her too. I could make dinner tonight. Try that curry that Sasuke taught me again. I'll make sure not to burn it this time._

Naruto had another pressing matter that kept worming its way to the forefront of his mind too. The meal with Mikoto. It was nothing really. He was just paying her back for taking care of him. They'd chat, eat, catch up, nothing crazy. _So why are you getting so nervous? Even real dates don't make you like this?_ She had already shot him down, so there was no reason to get excited about it. Even so, he wanted to do something nice for her. He didn't have to be on a "real" date to give her a good time, right? He considered it. _You think you can do better than the other guys she's dated? Then prove it. Give her the kind of date she deserves._

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

The following Monday came and went quickly for Mikoto, though not without its share of stress. It had ended up being one of those days where she simply had no time to stop. Someone had called in sick, so all of their clients were being passed on to her. She juggled her own and her colleague's work as best as she could, having to skip her own breaks in order to keep up sufficiently. Mikoto sighed in relief when she noticed the time. 16:43 pm. She was almost finished work for the day. She could hardly wait to get back home and unwind… _Oh crap, I'm supposed to meet Naruto…_ Their dinner had completely slipped her mind amongst the hectic events of the day. She wasn't sure she was really in the mood to do anything after work, and considered calling him, perhaps arranging it for another day instead. Though, she had to admit, over the previous days she had had actually found herself rather curious at the idea of the dinner with Naruto. She thought it might be fun to have an innocent meal between friends for once, rather than another date, like the countless series she'd been on lately. Dates were getting exhausting. There was so much expectation on how things might be going, or constant worries about how to present herself, or having to silently assess her prospective partner for any noticeable red flags.

"Hey Mikoto…" She started, hearing the voice of one of her colleagues, Samui, suddenly from behind her. Mikoto swung her chair around and smiled at her.

"Oh hello Samui." She said.

"So…," the blond woman smirked at her, "did you go out with that guy?" Mikoto shook her head. Of all of Mikoto's friends, Samui was the one who always tried to act as match maker and secure prospective suitors for her.

"No, I didn't see it going anywhere, so I called it off." Mikoto admitted.

"Oh really, that's a shame. Well me and girls were gonna go for a drink or two after work. Why not come along? If there's any cute guys there, I'll be your wing woman." Mikoto laughed, but didn't really feel like going to a bar right now. She wasn't sure she wanted to be around anyone. A quiet night in with her book and maybe a glass of wine sounded delightful… But not completely true. There was one person she thought she might enjoy being in their company…

"I'm sorry Samui I have plans with a friend." She said curtly. Samui grinned wolfishly.

"A friend? You have another date already? How many guys are you juggling?" Samui joked.

"No, no it's nothing like that, just dinner with a friend of mine, that's all." Mikoto said earnestly. Samui looked at her shrewdly.

"Ok then, enjoy your dinner. Good luck, I wanna hear the details." Samui added playfully and walked away, leaving Mikoto rolling her eyes. She appreciated having friends like Kushina and Samui trying to help her out with regards to her love life, (even if in Samui's case she could be a little over baring).

Mikoto stood and started to clear her desk, hurriedly placing sheets in her briefcase. _I'll have to leave quick. Don't want to keep him waiting._ She gave her workmates a wave goodbye and left the office promptly, noticing the smug smile on Samui as she left. She left the building, stepping out into the bright street, the sun still high in the sky. She turned left, walking towards the restaurant they'd arranged to meet at.

Mikoto began to wonder if this was a good idea. She had honestly not been upset in the slightest at Naruto's admission of feeling for her, a little uncomfortable at first perhaps, but on the whole, it was quite flattering. But if Naruto did have feelings for her, should she spend time with him in this way? Would it be like teasing him? _But it's not a date. It's just a meal._ She wasn't sure why she had to keep reassuring herself that so much, or why she felt the slightest rush of adrenaline when she saw the restaurant come into view. The neon sign above the door shone in bright blue cursive font.

 **AMORE D'ITALIA  
** The true taste of Italy!

 _Well I'm here, might as well see it through. Lets see what dinner with Naruto is like…_ She walked towards the building.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto sat at the table, alternating between glancing at his phone and readjusting his shirt for the hundredth time. The dinner he made for his mother the day before had gone down very well, and Kushina had been quite impressed with his cooking, (though she had teased him that she should really be complimenting Sasuke).

He had then spend the better part of today fussing over what he should wear, which was uncharacteristic for Naruto. He had always just followed his instincts when it came to these things. He wouldn't linger at the closet looking for something to wear, he just felt what would work and what his date might like, and trusted that feeling. _Not that this is a date,_ he kept telling himself. He had gone back and forth, agonizing over whether he should wear something formal, or more casual. He settled on a orange button down shirt, black trousers and black leather shoes. It was something smart, but not too fancy, he hoped. He did his best to tame his unruly hair too, though not much could be done with it. It always seemed to stick up where it wanted. He evened it out as best he could, grabbed his keys, wallet, and give himself one last look in the mirror. He made his way to the front door, calling back to his mom.

"I'm going out now mom!" He shouted through the house. Kushina came walking into the hallway.

"Ok hun…" She looked him up and down. "A bit dressed up aren't you? I thought you were just having dinner with Mikoto?" She asked, tilting her head. Naruto answered without missing a beat, much to his surprise.

"Mikoto said it's a nice restaurant, so I thought I should get a little dressed up, you know?" He said, not lying exactly, but also not admitting his full reasoning _._ Kushina nodded.

"Oh, ok. Will you be out long?" She asked, accepting his reply easily.

"I guess maybe just an hour or so. We're just getting food I think."

"Ok, have fun" Kushina smiled and walked back to the living room, leaving Naruto at the door. He went outside, got in his car, and made the short drive into town to the restaurant.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

He was ten minutes early, enough time to try to relax and settle his nerves, he thought. Instead, with each passing minute he felt his heart beat faster, thumping against his chest, as his hands grew clammy. _It's just a meal, chill out,_ he chided himself. Since going to college he had several first dates. None of them had felt like this. _But this isn't a date…_ he told himself. _Not to her, but to you it might as well be._ He waited, glancing athe the time on his phone every few minutes that was ten minutes passed the hour, and he was beginning to worry that something had happened. _Maybe she forget… Or doesn't want to come…_ Then, he saw Mikoto walk through the door.

She wore the same type of business suit he'd seen her in the week before at his mom's house. A white button up shirt, a black blazer and neck tie, and this time instead of a skirt, dark trousers. Her matching low heeled shoes clicked against the wooden floor as she gingerly stepped inside. Naruto stared for a moment. She looked every bit the modern professional, and he found to his surprise that the look had a strong effect on him. _Damn, she looks amazing in anything…_ He almost forgot to catch her attention as she glanced at the various tables and booths, looking for him. Naruto then stood abruptly, giving a little wave in her direction. She spotted him and smiled with relief, then threaded her way through the other diners to reach him. He swallowed and walked around their table to meet her.

"Hey! Get here ok?" He asked, trying his best to hide the tremble in his voice.

"Hello. Yes I did thanks." She replied. "Sorry I'm a little late, work was hell today."

"Oh, sorry to hear that." Naruto quickly moved behind her and pulled her chair back for her to sit. Mikoto smiled warmly.

"Such a gentleman." She sat down and he helped shift her chair forward. He noticed hair lay down passed her shoulders, and how it danced with the warm interior light of the restaurant reflecting off it.

"Of course, you deserve the best!" Naruto grinned, feeling more confidant. He stepped back around to his chair and sat opposite her. They smiled at each other, and felt a tinge of awkwardness begin to creep between them.

"You look great by the way!" He said suddenly. Mikoto smirked and looked away from his gaze.

"Thank you, you're too sweet Naruto. It's just my work clothes, surely I can't look that good in them?" She replied.

"N-no, I mean it, you look… amazing. I mean, you always do, not just now…" Naruto fumbled over his words. She chuckled at him, enjoying his panicked expression. "So uh, what happened at work?" Naruto asked earnestly.

"Oh, someone didn't show up so I had to cover for them. I had to skip my breaks to keep up with all of it." Mikoto said with a sigh. Naruto frowned.

"Damn you must be starving. It's my treat to so get whatever you like." He said flashing her one of his famous grins. She smiled back. It was hard to stay upset when Naruto looked at you like that.

"Thanks. Don't worry though, I don't have your appetite." She joked back. She took a moment to look at him, noticing his freshly ironed clothes, a bit smarter than what he would normally where for a casual occasion. His hair was marginally neater too, still in it's trademark messy spikes, but she could tell an attempt had been made. _He's put in some effort for this…_

"You look very handsome too by the way…" Mikoto said quietly. Naruto blushed immediately.

"Oh erm… thanks." Naruto muttured, stumbling over his words. They both looked down at the menu and silently read.

After a minute or so of uncomfortable silence, a young waitress came to the table.

"Hi there! How are you both doing? Are you two ready to order?" She asked in a chirpy tone. Naruto looked back and forth between Mikoto and the waitress.

"Uh, yea I think so, how about you?" He asked Mikoto.

"Yes I'm ready too." Mikoto replied.

"That's great," said the waitress, taking out a small notepad and pen. "Also, just to let you know, we have a couples special on at the moment. Two appetizers, two main meals and two deserts." She added, helpfully pointing out the section on Naruto's menu. Mikoto had to stop herself from laughing as he went bright red in the face yet again.

"Oh uh, no thanks, we're not… we'll just order whatever." Naruto stuttered. The girl looked at him curiously for a second, then took their orders and left just as quick as she'd arrived. Once she was gone, the pair looked at each other and chuckled. Silence came over the table, a slight feeling of trepidation filling the air between them.

"So, tell me about college life. Is it going well?" Mikoto asked, daring to break the tension.

"Yea I think so, I like the people there, and so far I've been keeping up with the work." Naruto replied, relieved that Mikoto spoke first.

"That's good. And what were you studying again? Physical Education, right?" She asked.

"Yea, "Fitness and Personal Training"." Naruto corrected.

"That sounds fun. You've always been into sports so that must be right up your alley." She said.

"Well I'm not book-smart like Sasuke, but I can run and kick a ball." He grinned.

"Oh don't say that, you're clever too."

"Lets face it, I'd have failed math if you hadn't helped me with my homework over the years."

"Well, that's something else you can pay me back for…" She said teasingly.

With the tension loosening they began to chat more freely about college, work, life, family, anything and everything. She was becoming so engrossed that Mikoto had forgotten all about how exhausted she had felt previously. Or perhaps being in Naruto's company was energizing. Whatever the case, she felt more engaged in there conversation than she had thought she would be, and was pleasantly surprised at how good a conversationalist Naruto was. He spoke passionately about what he wanted to do after college, some form of teaching or coaching he thought. He talked about how his dad had been a teacher, albeit English rather than sports, and that he'd love to follow in his footsteps in his own way. Mikoto couldn't help but feel admiration for him. _He's so grown up…_ she thought idly.

Then he had politely turned the conversation towards her, asking her about her career and what had happened since he'd been away at college. He listened intently as she spoke, telling him about her thoughts on pursuing a promotion, trying to work her way up now that she had more freedom to do so. Naruto replied encouragingly, telling her she totally should do it, heaping praise on her that she was so smart and talented she could do anything. She had simply laughed and waved off his approval, though she didn't detect any insincerity in his words. Mikoto had to admit to herself that this dinner date with Naruto was a refreshing change of pace. _When was the last time a man listened to you properly, and actually cared about what you wanted to do with your life? And how is this boy still single?_ That last thought seemed to arrive from nowhere and disappeared just a quick.

They were so engrossed with their conversation that they were both caught by surprised when their food arrived in what felt like no time at all. In fact about half and hour had past since they had ordered. They eagerly dug into their meals, Mikoto almost as ravenous as Naruto for once, given how starving she was. They both agreed it was defiantly a good idea trying this place. The food was amazing. They ate in comfortable silence, occasionally making small talk.

"And how are you and Sasuke getting on together?" Mikoto asked between bites. Naruto chewed his food hurriedly, swallowed, and answered.

"Living with him's actually a lot of fun! I mean, he's even busier than me, so we don't always get time to hang out, but it's cool having my best friend there." He replied.

"I imagine you two must be at each other's throats most of the time." She said smirking. Naruto laughed.

"Well, you're not wrong. Sometimes we argue 'bout stuff, but we get over it. You know how are." He shrugged, smirking back. She certainly did. While they were fiercely loyal to one another, Naruto and Sasuke also had the tendency to bicker and fight over the slightest thing.

"Oh I know, I've had to get between you two plenty of times. He might have some words for you about what happened the other night." She said smugly.

"You told him about the it huh?…" He said, shrinking in his chair slightly. Then his eyes went wide. "You didn't tell him about what I said to you, right?" He whispered across the table. Mikoto made a small crossing gesture with one hand over the left side of her chest. "Don't worry, I won't tell a soul." Naruto relaxed and chuckled.

They went back to eating their meals, though Mikoto less enthusiastically than before. Naruto's watched her attentively.

"Is everything ok?" He asked discreetly. She looked up and put on a small smile.

"Oh, yes. I was just thinking. I don't want to be nosy… But, Sasuke is doing well there too, right? I talk to him a lot on the phone, but I just worry sometimes…" Naruto could gather from her body language what she was really asking. When they were fifteen, Sasuke went through a rebellious period. He started hanging around with some of Itachi's less than savoury peers, who in turn had gotten him access to alcohol. As his behaviour descented, he began lashing out towards his friends, Naruto, and even his own mother. It became apparent after one particularly nasty shouting match with Mikoto that his parent's divorce had left him with more complex feelings than he had ever let on previously. He had said some cruel this to her, things he hadn't really meant, but fully believed at the time, the main one being that is was her fault his dad left.

Most of Sasuke's friends had tried to talk to him, to reason with him, but eventually turned their backs on him when he ignored their attempts. But not Naruto. He pursued Sasuke relentlessly. Everyday he tried to talk to his friend, to get him to come home and stop hanging out with those people. Then, one night, when Sasuke hadn't come home for almost twenty four hours, and Mikoto was close to calling the police to find him, there was a knock at the door. She found Naruto and Sasuke standing there, covered in mud, as well as some bumps and bruises. They'd been fighting, and Naruto had practically dragged Sasuke back to her door step. Sasuke was tearful and broke down upon seeing her, apologising profusely to his mom for the things he'd said. Mikoto recalled Naruto had went home without saying a word, leaving his friend and his mom to settle things. After that, things went back to normal. She and Itachi had talked to Sasuke about the things he'd been feeling, and helped him come to terms with some of his latent emotional distress. And although the matter had never came up again between her and Naruto, she felt an immense amount of gratitude towards him. _I don't think I've ever really thanked Naruto properly…_ Mikoto mused.

"Yea, he's doing great, everyone likes him. It's just like back in school, he's got the, dark, mysterious vibe, you know? All the girls come to me asking about him." He said in a playfully grumpy tone. Mikoto smiled.

"Are you sure they aren't just using him as an excuse to talk to you?" She teased. Naruto thought for a moment.

"I don't know if people are really attracted to me the way they are to Sasuke. He doesn't even need to try." He shrugged.

"I'm sure you have your pick of the girls at college…" She said, looking down briefly, then glancing back up at him through her dark bangs. Naruto looked a little stunned, then grinned.

"Well, they could learn a lot from you." He said with a playful wink that made Mikoto fell butterflies. Naruto grinned and went back to his plate. Mikoto considered telling him to stop with the compliments, thinking at first that his flirtatiousness wasn't appropriate. But considering it honestly, she was actually enjoying it. _What's the harm in letting him flirt a little? He's enjoying it, it makes you feel good, and since when have you been flattered this much?_

The rest of the night passed in a pleasant blur for the pair. They chatted for another hour or so after finishing their dinner, any previous sense of awkwardness between them having completely vanished. They talked about this and that long after their food was finished, laughing about old times and musing about the future thoughtfully. They seemed to enjoy each other's company so much that anyone looking in on the pair would have easily thought they were couple.

Eventually Naruto felt his phone vibrate. He looked down and saw a short message from his mom.

**_Everything ok? XOX_ **

He checked the time and was surprised to see two and a half hours had passed since he'd arrived. _Wow, it's went so quick! I guess I should get the bill._ He looked back at Mikoto, releasing how reluctant he was for the night to end. Just being with her, talking with her, was incredible. He didn't know how to describe how he felt. Other than it just felt right.

"So, uh, we get probably get going, I don't wanna keep you all night. You probably wanna be home after the day you've had." Naruto asked with a sigh he failed to hide. Mikoto checked her watch, and seemed equally taken back by how much time had passed.

"Oh, yes, I suppose so. Are you sure you don't want to split the bill?" She offered politely. Naruto shook his head.

"No way, I owe you." He said, flashing that winning smile to her again. Before she could say anything else he beckoned down a waiter and settled up the bill. _He really had grown up…_ she thought. "So, would you like a ride home?" Naruto offered. She smiled back.

"Sure, thank you."

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

They drove back mostly in silence, but this time it was a comfortable silence. Naruto took a quick route back to their neighbourhood, though he drove at a leisurely pace. The sky was blazing red at that point, turning purple as the sun began dipping below the horizon. The pair occasional exchanged brief looks, smiling at one another sweetly as they steadily made there way home. To someone watching, the moment could have been seen as quietly romantic. Looking back on it later, Mikoto would realize that this car ride was when she first began to feel something more than just platonic friendship for Naruto.

As the car slowly stopped outside her home, Mikoto turned and smiled at Naruto. She looking into his eyes, and her first thought was what a gorgeous shade of blue they were. They showed every emotion on his handsome boyish face so clearly _._ She loved how emotive he was. Naruto wore his heart on his sleeve and was completely honest with everyone, which is probably why, she thought, he had always been so popular. He just had a personality you wanted to be around, a charisma that was both humble and undeniable. Even Sasuke, who at times could be a closed book, even to his own mother, was drawn to Naruto, in spite of how their personalities would often clash. He was so different to her ex-husband. Fugaku had been handsome enough, though stern, and often humourless. He would treat romance and love in a transactional manner, and buried most of his feelings behind impenetrable walls of bravado and masculinity. Naruto couldn't hide how he felt even if he wanted too, which just made him all the more endearing. _If someone like him had been around back then, I'd might never have been with Fugaku..._ The thought came to her all of a sudden with surprising certainty.

A few seconds passed and Mikoto sighed, searching for the right words.

"I had a wonderful time tonight Naruto. It's been years since I've been on a date that good, and that one was easily the best." She said nibbling her bottom lip. Naruto flashed her a grin.

"So we agree it was a date then?" He teased. Mikoto rolled her eyes and laughed under her breath.

"...Sure, it was a date." Naruto pumped the air with his fist playfully and looked back at her.

"I had a great time too." He felt a pang in his chest. _I want more. Please don't let this be the last time…_ His smile slowly dropped. He clenched his jaw almost painfully tight, not sure whether to vocalize what he was feeling, or how. Eventually, he spoke. "I know you don't want anything serious, with me… But you know, if you ever want to, I'd love to take you out again…" He offered timidly. Silence hung between them.

Mikoto observed him with a seriousness like her gaze might burn a hole through him. Every part of her logical mind told her to leave it at that. That this was a fun night. Naruto had been great company, a gentleman even. But he was also about twenty years younger than her. Anything beyond this would surely be too much. _You can't date your son's best friend. You can't. It doesn't matter how enjoyable it was._ But how long had it been since she had felt like this? Itachi and Sasuke were wonderful sons, and they both doted on her. They helped her around the house, were unerringly respectful, (for the most part, less so during their teens), and even now helped her financially from time to time, in spite of her insisting that they not. But even they couldn't fill the space in her life for a companion, and she had been severely lacking in companionship since before Fugaku had left. Itachi had moved out, and Sasuke was at college now, no doubt leaving the nest afterwards too. And few of the potential suitors she'd met over the years had been anything like as chivalrous and kind as Naruto had been on this night alone. She inhaled.

"I'd love to…" Mikoto admitted softly. Naruto's eyes went wide as saucers and his face beamed with delight.

"That's great! I have your number, so, uhm, I could let you know when I'm free?" He said excitedly.

"Sure, let me know when you want to do something." Mikoto smirked at his reaction and put her hand on the door handle. She pulled it, pushed open the door a few inches before stopping. She turned to face Naruto. _What are you doing?…_ her mind screamed at her. Mikoto leant forward. Naruto forgot to breath and caught by surprise, turned his face slightly more towards hers. He felt her soft lips touch his cheek in a chaste kiss. She pulled away and gave him one last melancholy smile.

"Goodnight Naruto…" She said softly. He was too shocked to reply, as she stepped from the vehicle, shutting the door car behind her and walking briskly to her home.

Mikoto had no idea where the desire had suddenly came from. Maybe it was something about this night, or Naruto… But she found she didn't regret it. Not in the slightest. Once she reached her front door, she dug through her bag for her keys and quickly opened it, turning to wave at Naruto, who slowly raised his hand towards her in response. She stepped inside and closed the door behind her, and laughed as she removed her shoes with a sigh. _What on earth are you doing?,_ she thought. Mikoto walked through to the kitchen, and pulled her phone from her bag. There was a message received two hours ago. It was from Sasuke.

"Shit…" She mumbled as she quickly opened it.

**_Hi Mom, how are you? My course work is_ **

**_almost done. Looking forward to seeing_ **

**_you. Hope the idiot hasn't caused any_ **

**_more trouble. X_ **

She snorted quietly reading the message, chuckling to herself. _If you only knew…_

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto sat and stared at the closed door to the Uchiha household. That had certainly been unexpected. He honestly didn't believe the night would go that well. He was struck by how easy it had been to talk to her, in spite of their age difference. They talked and laughed and enjoyed one another's company in a way that he'd never experienced with anyone before. Even Hinata, who he had been one of his earliest love interests, had taken quite a while to come out of her shell, and still wasn't as easy going with him as Mikoto had been. He turned on the engine and started to drive slowly back home, his cheek still warm from the kiss she'd given him, his mind racing with ideas for a second date.


	5. The Second (Not) Date

"So, tell me everything…" Samui said, leaning over the desk with a predatory smile. Mikoto jumped, awakened from her day dreaming. She had been staring blankly at her computer screen.

"About what?" Mikoto asked in a daze.

"This mystery "friend" you had dinner with." Samui purred, leaning closer. Mikoto rolled her eyes.

"It was nothing, like I said, just a meal between friends." She answered in a exasperated tone.

"Come on, give me more than that. Is he hot?" The blond added. Mikoto laughed.

"Samui please, it wasn't anything like that, really." Samui squinted at her dark haired friend and stood up straight.

"Fair enough, keep your secrets." The blond woman muttered. "By the way, you missed out last night. We had fun at the bar. Tsunade and I flirted with a cute guy there." She said smugly.

"Oh? What was he like?" Mikoto asked absent-mindedly.

"His name's Kakashi, bit of a silver fox..." Mikoto looked up with a frown.

"Kakashi Hatake?" She asked. Samui cocked her head, her lips curling in to a smile.

"You know him?"

"He was my son Sasuke's teacher in high school. I met him a few times. How is doing?" She asked.

"He's doing very well for himself. He's actually the principle now." Samui stopped and grinned broadly at Mikoto, then lent over the desk once again, her palms flat against it. "This is perfect, you have a way in. I have his number if you want it." She whispered excitedly. Mikoto waved her hand in a shooing gesture.

"I don't know. It must be four, five years ago since I last spoke it him. It's hardly like we know each other."

"Well, he might remember you. And he's smart, funny, VERY handsome," Samui emphasized, "has a great job, and seemed perfectly charming. I think he's right up you're alley." She said.

"Well I'm afraid my alley's closed for the moment." Mikoto joked.

"Look, here's his number." Samui said, producing a small piece of paper from her pocket, and sliding it across the desk to Mikoto. "Have a think about it, all kidding aside, I think he'd be a great catch." Mikoto mulled it over. From the brief interactions she'd had with Kakashi in the past, he seemed like a decent man. He had a good reputation for being an effective teacher, who was supportive of his students. He was also well liked by Sasuke, Naruto and their peers. And she had to admit, by any ones standards, he had been damn good looking.

"Ok ok, I'll think about it." Mikoto relented.

"Good!" Samui said, standing straight. She began to turn away, then stopped, looking back at Mikoto. "But if you're not gonna call him, let me know. I'm happy to give you a chance, but Tsunade was practically eye-fucking him all night and I wanna take a shot before she steals him for herself." She finished with a smirk. Mikoto laughed and took the paper. Seemingly satisfied, Samui left for her own desk. _How does she get any work done when she's snooping around my love life all the time?_

Mikoto looked at the paper. She recognized the clean handwriting. She'd seen it on various report cards over the years. The paper simply said "Kakashi Hatake", followed by a phone number. Mikoto looked at the paper for a few moments, then slipped it into her jacket pocket. She couldn't really focus on that at the moment anyway. Or on the work she was supposed to be doing. Instead she was stuck thinking about one thing. Naruto.

She didn't know why, but she couldn't get the previous night out of her mind. It had been a nice dinner with a friend, something she'd done countless times with the likes of Samui, Tsunade, Kushina, and many others. But it had also been different. It had felt different. Maybe it had been because of his, "feelings" for her, or perhaps it was just the way he complimented and courteously flirted with her. The evening with Naruto had been stimulating in a way most dates simply weren't, or at least, hadn't been in a long time. He actually seemed to show real interest in her as a person. _Why can't it always be like that. That's how it should be._ She was tired of all the pretence that went into dating, and the night with Naruto had been a perfect remedy for that.

Mikoto thoughts also lingered on the kiss she'd given him too. It had happened so abruptly, it had taken her by surprise almost as much as him. She couldn't pin point why she had done it. She never gave any of her other friends a kiss goodbye. It had been innocent enough, but when she recalled the moment her lips had touched his soft cheek, Mikoto felt goosebumps. She hoped that she hadn't made him feel uncomfortable. Though judging by the look on Naruto's face after ward, he had seemed excited and awestruck by it.

And the most surprising part of all of it to her, was that she was genuinely looking forward to his offer of another date. Mikoto wondered how or when he might ask her out again, and what they'd do. She found herself glancing at her phone more often that usual, hoping for a message from him. _Knock it off, just get some work done and forget about it,_ she berated herself. Mikoto shook her head and opened a file on her computer, forcing herself read it thoroughly. As it happened, she wouldn't have to wait long too much longer before she heard from Naruto again…

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

When Naruto had gotten home after the date, he had been quizzed by his mom on why he had been out so long. He had told her that he and Mikoto had to wait awhile for there food to arrive , since the place was so busy. Then the drive back was slow because of traffic. Kushina had seemed to accept it all easily enough. Naruto didn't enjoy lying to his mom, but he reasoned that they were only little white lies, and it was hardly like he could tell her the truth. _Well actually mom we were out so late 'cause I'm really into your best friend and we had the best date I've ever been on. She even kissed me!_ Like that would go down well…

Naruto felt so energized when he got home, he had to go for a run just to try and use some of it up. He then spent the rest of the night in his room, with a stupid grin on his face, thinking about the dinner over and over. He pictured how Mikoto had sat opposite him, her onyx eyes looking into his, how she laughed at his jokes, how she listened with a soft, empathetic smile when the conversation turned to more serious subjects. _And she actually wants to go on another date!_ A voice in his head roared in triumph. The kiss was on his mind too. He'd never felt so exhilarated from just a simple kiss before. It had been so innocent, it could have easily been meaningless. But the teenage side of himself that had pined for Mikoto for years was going wild. He kept imagining her kissing him, though this time not just on his cheek. He imagined holding her, and looking into her eyes as there lips met…

Naruto spent the rest of the next day milling about the house, obsessing over whether it was too early to text Mikoto or not. He wanted nothing more than to see her again, and do something else with her, anything. He thought she probably wouldn't want to go out again so soon. But then, might she? She said she'd like to date him again. They'd spent a good two hours in the restaurant just talking. She'd even kissed him. Mikoto certainly seemd to enjoy his company. Naruto considered it all and decided he couldn't wait, or maybe didn't want to. Once she was finished work for the day, then he'd message her.

Once the time came, Naruto excused himself, and went to his room. He reclined on his childhood bed, bringing the phone up and typing a message to Mikoto excitedly.

_Hey Mikoto, it's Naruto! How are you? Did you have a good day at work? Hope it was better than the yesterday. :)_

He put the phone down by his side and tried to calm his nerves. He didn't have to wait long for a reply. A few minutes later his phone buzzed to life.

_Hello Naruto, I'm doing well thanks, it was a long day but not too bad. How about_ _you? Been up to anything?_

_That's great! I'm good too. I've been lazy today, haven't really done anything,_ _just chilled out._

_Well you've earned a rest from college. Don't go getting too comfortable though, I'm sure your mom will find chores for you to do._

_Haha that's the main reason she's happy to have me back home!  
_ _I had a lot of fun yesterday._

_I did too. You're quite the gentleman. :)_

_To be honest, I've been thinking all day about where we could go for next time.  
_ _If you wanted to go out again I mean._

_Mmm… I guess I could be convinced… ;)  
_ _What have you got planned for us?_

_When are you free?_

_I'm actually off all day tomorrow if that's ok for you?_

Naruto smiled. He wasn't expecting it to happen so quickly, but he wasn't complaining. The idea of another date with Mikoto was a little intimidating, but also thrilling. And then, just as he was feeling on top of his game, the universe through him a curve ball. His phone buzzed again. This time, the message he received was from another sender.

_Hi Naruto! Glad you're back! It was great seeing you again the other night, I haven't laughed like that in so long! Hope you weren't too hung over. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to meet up tomorrow? X_

It was from Hinata. Naruto stared dumbly at the screen for while, his mind processing what he was reading. They had been gradually getting together for years. Flirting and hanging out innocently during school. He had genuine feelings for her, he knew that for a fact. But he also had feelings for someone else too. _This is stupid. Hinata's gorgeous, she clearly likes you, has done since we were like fourteen. You can't miss a chance with her to go on a weird, half date with your best friend's mom, that's crazy._ With new found resolve, he began to type.

_Hey Hinata! Loved seeing you too! I was a bit of a mess but not too bad haha! I'm really sorry but I've got a thing tomorrow. Maybe on another day? Can't wait to see you again!_

He sent the message, then looked at the screen for another long while. _Sasuke's right, you're an idiot,_ he lectured passed and reply came.

_Ok, no problem! I'm happy to meet up whenever suits you best! Talk to you soon! X_

Naruto dropped the phone by his side and brought his hands to his head. His crush on Mikoto had always been a thing in the background, simmering quietly. If he saw her, or spoke to her, then it might flare up temporarily, and she would remain on his mind for a while after. Otherwise, it was manageable. He could ignore it and focus on other things. Now it was bubbling up out of his control, directed him to make decisions he wouldn't never thought he'd make, like rejecting a date with Hinata. _What the hell is this?_ He thought, rubbing his temples in frustration.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

_I'm actually off all day tomorrow._

A smile curled at the corner of Mikoto's lips. She send her message, put her phone down, and brought her mug to her lips, sipping her tea slowly. She had been excited to finally hear from Naruto. She wondered what kind of date he was planning, and the prospect of it made her feel giddy, in a way she hadn't for years. It was almost like being a teenager again. A few minutes passed before she got his next reply.

_That's cool, we have the whole day! Do you wanna do something? I was thinking we could maybe see a movie, and grab some food before or after?_

_Sure, that sounds fun, I'm looking forward to it already. :)_

_That's great! Want me to pick you up? Say, 1 ish?_

_1pm is fine by me. Yes please, if you don't mind._

_Awesome! I'll see you then!_

Mikoto beamed at her phone. She couldn't remember the last time she was so genuinely excited for a date. _The movies huh?_ Conventional, but it sounded quite nice to her. Now that the date was set, she began to feel a little bit of anxiety creeping in. _Come on, you're a grown woman. No need to get so excited about spending time with a friend…_ For no reason at all, she suddenly pictured herself and Naruto in a movie theatre, his arm around her shoulder, her leaning against his side. She bit her lip. … _I wonder what I should wear?_

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto slowed the car down to a halt in front of Mikoto's house. His mom was at work all day, so he was thankfully able to avoid any awkward conversations about where he might be going. He looked at his phone, seeing it was about five minutes to one. He rubbed his hands together, feeling his palms a little slick with sweat. He was starting to feel the same nervous ticks that he'd felt in the restaurant the other day. Naruto pulled down the sun visor to check his reflection one more time. He'd decided on an altogether more casual look today. Faded blue jeans, a bright orange t-shirt, and his best sneakers. He felt that he looked good, but his nervousness also made him feel self-conscious.

Then Mikoto stepped out from her front door.

His heart leapt. Naruto was transfixed at the sight of her. She had also choose something casual to wear, but the effect on him was no less potent. She wore a deep blue, floral patterned sun dress that came down to just above her knee, with a pair of sandals, and a bag slung over her shoulder. Naruto thought she looked breathtakingly beautiful. Mikoto seemed to exude youth and elegance as she strode confidently down to the car, smiling at him sweetly. He smiled dumbly back. _She's like the elves in Lord of the Rings or something. She'll be gorgeous forever._ He chuckled at the thought, but fully believed reached the passenger side of Naruto's car and opened the door, climbing inside.

"Hello." She greeted Naruto simply. He stared back for a second, then blinked a few times before answering.

"H-hey. Ready to go?" He asked, putting his hands on the wheel. Mikoto nodded and fumbled through her bag for a moment, checking everything.

"Yep, all set." She answered.

Mikoto bit her lip as Naruto started the car and slowly began to pull away. _It's actually happening. I'm going on a date with a guy half my age. With Naruto of all people. How did I get here?_ She didn't know Naruto was just as nervous, if not more, than she was. Nevertheless she could feel her heart beating faster now she was sitting beside him. Questions raced through her mind. _Why are you doing this? Where do you think this can go? You can't actually date him. You watched him grow up down the street for gods sake._ Mikoto silenced them quickly, feeling unable to answer such queries right now. She decided to speak, to drown out the niggling voices.

"So did you choose a movie for us?" She asked Naruto. He smiled without taking his eyes off the road.

"I looked at some online. There's a few that were interesting. I thought we could check them out and decide together?" He offered.

"That's fine by me." She replied, already feeling a little more relaxed. "Does your mom know about this?" She asked. Naruto chuckled guiltily.

"It didn't really come up. She's at work till six, so… I thought she doesn't really need to know…"

"I hope you're not embarrassed about taking out an old lady like me are you?" Mikoto teased. Naruto was suddenly flustered.

"N-no way! It's just… I guess I don't really know how to explain it to her. I mean we've never really hung out like this before." He admitted. Mikoto nodded thoughtfully.

"I suppose that's for the best. This is only a bit of fun, right? We wouldn't want her to give the wrong idea." She added diplomatically.

"...Yea, s'pose so…" Naruto mumbled. She failed to notice the flicker of hurt on his face.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

They made small talk the rest of the way into town. Being early in the afternoon on a weekday, it wasn't too difficult to find somewhere to park. They left the car and made there way down the street to the cinema. It was just a few streets away, and given the current weather, they thought it would be nice to walk the rest of the way. The sun blazed above them in the cloudless sky. It was supposed to turn muggy later on, but for now they took the chance to enjoy the height of the summer together.

Naruto glanced surreptitiously at Mikoto striding alongside him. He couldn't get over how beautiful she was. Then she happened to look over and catch him. She tilted her head and smirked.

"What is it?" She asked, her tone laced with humour.

"Uh, nothing…" He blurted out. Naruto found some confidence and grinned back at her. "You just look amazing, as usual." He replied. Mikoto scoffed.

"I don't think anyone's ever given me so many compliments in such a short space of time." She joked.

"You deserve them. It's crazy to me that you're still single." He admitted truthfully. Mikoto smiled.

"I'm glad you think so. Unfortunately you seemed to be in the minority on that subject." She said.

"Trust me, if you were a girl at my college, all the guys would be after you." He said.

"What, do they like their friend's mom's too?" Mikoto teased.

"Hey! I'm being honest!" Naruto exclaimed with laughter, and turning bright red. "I mean, how can guys not see how great you are?!" Mikoto shrugged.

"Who knows… Maybe it's me, maybe my standards are too high now… I don't want to end up with another Fugaku." She said matter of factly.

"I can't understand why he would cheat, if he had someone like you..." Naruto blurted out without thinking. _Why would you bring that up, idiot?!_ A voice in his head barked at him. It sounded a lot like Sasuke. He glanced at Mikoto, expecting her to be upset. She seemed thoughtful. She sighed.

"I wish I knew. We were happy for a while…" She uttered, staring off down the street, looking at nothing in particular. "At first I thought it was me. Maybe I'd done something, or didn't do enough. But after a while I realized I shouldn't blame myself, I did do everything I could to make him happy... I think he had just gotten bored of it. Maybe it was an early mid-life crisis. I don't know." She finished, shaking her head. Naruto watched her carefully.

"Sorry I brought it up, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable…" He said quietly. Mikoto turned and smiled at him, the previous sadness on her face melting away. Her smile had a radiance that made Naruto's heart skip a beat.

"No, don't worry about it. That's all in the past." Mikoto said. Naruto looked down the street, needing to tear his gaze away from her.

"I've never said anything to Sasuke or Itachi," he began, "cause, you know, he's their dad, and I don't wanna bad mouth him in front of them… But I've always thought… you deserved so much better than him. Anyone that could cheat on you is an idiot." He said the last words looking at her, his face beaming. She smirked and looked away, brushing some hair from her face as her cheeks went red.

"Thank you Naruto."

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

They reached the cinema several minutes later. They stepped into the spacious lobby, looking around at the various posters and screens on display. Naruto pointed out some of the movies he'd looked up the night before that he thought they might enjoy. They scanned through the titles until Mikoto suddenly perked up.

"Oh, I didn't realize that was out now…" She muttered.

"What is it?" Naruto asked, looking in the same direction as her. She pointed out a particular title amongst a cycling list on a monitor in front of them.

"That one their, "Death At Midnight". It's an adaptation of a book I read a while back. I forget that the movie was coming out." Naruto smiled.

"Cool, what it is?" Naruto asked.

"It's a kind of, film noir, detective story." Mikoto answered. Naruto wasn't quite sure what "film noir" meant, but he noticed the way she lit up talking about it.

"Well I guess we've settled on it then." He said.

"Are you sure? We can decide on something together. This might not have many explosions as you would enjoy." Mikoto teased.

"It sounds cool and you're interested in it. That's good enough for me! I'll get the tickets" He said pulling out his wallet. Mikoto reached into her bag, fumbling for her purse.

"No, you got us dinner the other night, let me pay for this." She said hurriedly, struggling to talk to him and search her bag all at once.

"Well you said I needed to pay you back for helping me with my homework. Consider this the start." Naruto said with a wink, and was already heading off to the counter. Mikoto shook her head and grinned as he stood in line.

He was getting cocky with her, which she found quite amusing. And a little exciting to be honest. She wondered if this was how Naruto always acted on "real" dates. She felt relieved that she hadn't overdressed. She had guessed that he would wear something casual today, and thought the blue dress would be a nice match. Plus, she had few occasions to wear it. Mikoto also thought his current attire suited him quite nicely. He certainly cut a handsome figure when suited and booted, but he was too laid back to wear a stuffy suit all the time. His messy blond hair was far more attractive in its natural state than when it was forced to be neat. Her eyes scanned over Naruto as he stepped towards the counter, talking to the cashier on the other side. Mikoto watched the muscles in his back flex beneath his t-shirt as he reached forward to pay for the tickets. _Definitely not a kid any more…_ She also couldn't help notice how broad his shoulders were now, and as her eyes drifted lower, she admired how they tapered towards his lean waist, then to his pleasingly round backside…

_Stop it!_ Mikoto commanded herself, realizing Naruto was already done at the counter and was heading back towards her. _He could be your son for god sake…_ She buried her conflicted feelings and put on a smile as he came back.

"Two for "Death At Midnight" in twenty minutes." Naruto said holding the tickets up. "Wanna get any drinks or snacks before we go in?" He asked her, oblivious to her internal struggle.

"Umm… sure. Choose whatever you like, I'll steal a little from you." She joked. "But let me buy it. I appreciate your gallantry, but you don't have to be the one to pay all the time." He laughed and fell in beside her as they turned toward the concession stand.

"Fine by me, I can share." He said.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

About two hours later they stepped out of the building onto the street once again, their eyes gradually adjusting to the change in light. It was still bright outside, though dark clouds were beginning to creep across the distant blue horizon.

"So what did you think?" Naruto asked.

"I enjoyed it. I thought they did a good job capturing the original story. How about you? Weren't too bored where you?" Mikoto teased, nudging him with her elbow. Naruto laughed.

"No, it was good! I wasn't sure I'd be into it but I liked it, it was exciting!"

"That's good." She said. They started walking down the street at a stead pace. "So why did you end up choosing the movies as our date? Do you usually take girls to see films?"

"I don't know. I guess I just thought it might be fun. Something not too serious…" He mused. "You're having fun right?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

"Yes Naruto, this is great… I'm enjoying spending time with you like this…" Mikoto admitted. "You have good taste in dating activities." She added. Naruto was clearly pleased.

"I'm glad I made a good choice." He gave her a curious look. "So… what would you're ideal date be? If you could choose anything?"

"If I could do anything?…" Mikoto thought carefully for a few moments. "I always liked dancing back in the day..." She said a little self-consciously.

"Really?" Naruto said with a glazed expression.

"What, don't believe me?" She said, looking both embarrassed and amused.

"It's not that, I just don't think I've seen you dance before. You mean like, going out clubbing or something?"

"Yea some of that, when I was your age." She began. "In my teens I took some formal dancing classes. A bit of ballroom, this and that. I never really used any of it though. I always liked the idea of going somewhere like an dance hall. I guess the last time I danced would have been at my wedding reception." She said dreamily, then laughed. "I suppose that all sounds a bit silly to you."

"No, it's not… If its worth anything, I can't dance to save my life, but I'd love dance with you one day." Naruto said earnestly. Mikoto thought she would too.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

They both walked without any direction in mind for a while, chatting idly. They decided that they weren't actually that hungry yet, so they would go to the nearby park and have a walk around there, enjoying the day until they felt like eating. They were somehow even closer now. There shoulders were touching as they walked, and occasionally the backs of there hands would brush against each other. Each unintentional touch jolted them both with adrenaline.

"Have you met up with your friends again since the other night? How are they doing?" Mikoto asked. Naruto smirked.

"Kiba was in a worse state than me from what I hear. I haven't seen them again yet, but everyone's doing good." The blonde haired man answered.

"That's great." She replied. Another question came to her, and for some reason, she wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer. "…Are you still courting Hinata?" Naruto paused.

"I… guess? I don't know. We weren't official "together" before I left for college." He mumbled. Mikoto looked at him carefully.

"I can see why she'd be interested in someone like you…" She said. "Do you think you'll start things up with her?"

"I suppose so… unless… someone else catches my eye." He said with a wink towards her. Mikoto rolled her eyes.

They reached the park and walked along a stony path through neatly trimmed grass, passing beneath the shade of tall poplar trees. The park was mostly empty, though there were some kids running around, young one with parents supervising, and slightly older children who were excited to be finished with school for the day. They had both been here at various times over the years, especially when Naruto and Sasuke were young. Kushina and Mikoto would take them here to play together, and inevitability stopping any fights that broke out between the pair. Neither Naruto or Mikoto could of imagined they'd end up here again as each other's dates.

As they walked, Naruto felt his hand brushing Mikoto's accidentally. He looked down and swallowed, summoning as much courage as he could. Instead of removing it, he placed his finger tips against her palm, testing the waters. She didn't avoid his touch. He slowly wove his fingers with hers and clasped her hand. She gripped his in return. They looked at each other, both of them grinning wildly.

"Is this a part of your dating strategy too?" Mikoto asked.

"Only if it's going well." Naruto replied with confidence.

They walked hand in hand through the park slowly, enjoying the warmth of the sun, and the closeness with one another.

"You know, I never did thank you for bring Sasuke back that night…" Mikoto said abruptly.

"Oh… It was nothing. He's my best friend." Naruto said, scratching the back of his head with his free hand.

"It wasn't nothing. No one else wanted anything to do with him. He wouldn't even listen to me or Itachi. Why did you keep going after him?" She asked seriously.

"I guess I could just tell he was hurting. I didn't think what he was doing would make him feel better. I wanted to be there for him and help him." Mikoto squeezed his hand and nodded.

"I'm glad he has a friend like you..." She said softly. Naruto stopped walking. Mikoto turned to look at him, and saw him gazing at her longingly.

"What is it?" She asked concernedly. Naruto took a moment, seeming to steady himself and find the words he needed. Finally he spoke.

"I know you've already said no… But, do you think there could be a chance that you'd ever consider… you know… me?" The rest of the world faded. Nothing else mattered. Mikoto swallowed, and looked at him for what felt like ages before answering.

"If I was your age, or you mine, and you weren't my son's best friend… then… maybe…" She mumbled the last few words,

"I get this is all kinda weird Mikoto, but I feel something for you. This is different from anything I've felt with anyone else. D'you know what I mean?" Naruto looked hurt, lost and confused. Exactly how she felt inside.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't… You've been on my mind a lot since last week. And then more so after our dinner… This has all been really good. I keep thinking, "I wish it was always like this". I just…" She gave his hand a small squeeze, for his comfort, or her own, she wasn't sure. "I don't know what we're doing right now… I practically helped raise you. I can't date you…" Naruto leant closer to her. She was dazzled by his eyes at such close range. They were a deep, bright shade of blue she'd only ever seen in pictures of tropical oceans. His hair reflected the sunlight, giving the glow of a halo around his head. _It's no wonder Hinata's obsessed with him…_

"I think I could make you happy Mikoto... I want to make you happy." He whispered in a low tone that send shivers down her spine. They stood looking at each other intensely. Something came over Mikoto. Just like in the car other day, all her anxieties and reservations suddenly disappeared. She lent forward. The distance between them closed. They shut their eyes.

They kissed.

It lasted no more than a few seconds, but in that brief moment they were captivated with each other. Naruto forget to breath. His adolescent dream was coming true. Mikoto let out a feint sigh as they made contact, and he quietly groaned at the feel of her heavenly soft lips against his. Their fingers clasped each other's hands tighter. Their bodies pressed together without either of them thinking about it. Naruto raised his free hand, putting it on her hip. They broke apart, looking into one another's eyes. They each could see unspoken desire smouldering in the other's gaze.

Mikoto suddenly pulled away, letting go of Naruto's hand like it might burn her. She looked away from him and moved her now free hand to her side, then up to her opposite shoulder, then her side again, as though unsure where to put it. Naruto could see her jaw clenching as she glanced about, anywhere but at him. _Shit. You blew it,_ he panicked internally.

"S-sorry… Are you ok?" He asked cautiously.

"No, I'm sorry, I'm fine." She replied in an flustered tone. "I think we should get going now." Naruto's mouth hung upon, unable to come up with a reply. She began walking briskly back in the direction of the main street, and he quickly followed, his head hanging.

They reached the car without speaking another word. The tension in the air was tangible. They got in and Naruto started the vehicle, driving them home. Neither of them spoke the whole trip back. Mikoto stared straight out of the windscreen, clutching her bag against her chest with both arms. Naruto wanted to say something, anything, to make the situation better. But nothing came to mind. Only half hearted platitudes that would doubtless make things worse. _Idiot! This was always gonna happen. She would never feel the same for you,_ he berated himself.

The car came to a halt outside the Uchiha household.

"That was a lovely day, thank you." Mikoto muttered robotically as she reached for the car door.

"S-sure, I enjoyed it too…" Naruto paused, hoping things would suddenly be ok again.

"...See you later." She said, opening the door, stepping out and closing it. She never once looked at him while speaking. Naruto watched her walk up the path, almost at a jog, before quickly disappearing through the front door. He slumped in his seat and let his head fall back.

"Fuck…"

Naruto made the short drive around the block and parked outside his home. His mom was back home now. Her car on the drive way. He supposed he'd have to make something up about where he'd been. He sighed, thinking about Mikoto. Naruto hoped that she wasn't upset with him. He thought he'd done it, that he'd won her over, and then, something happened. She had seemed to panic and bring it all to a stop. Had he done something to upset her? He didn't think so. She had seemed as keen to kiss him as he was to kiss her. She had even been the one to start it! And if she hadn't initiated it, he definitely would of.

He got out of the car and went up to the house, calling out a greeting to his mom as he stepped inside. She was in the kitchen, unpacking some shopping.

"Hey. Been to town?" She asked.

"Yea, just been hanging with the gang…" He said in a monotone voice. "How was your day?" He asked.

"Not bad, work was slow. I picked up some dinner for us on the way back. Fancy some bolognese?" She asked. Naruto smiled genuinely.

"Sure, I'll help you make it." He said. Kushina gave him a curious look and smiled back at her son.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Mikoto shuffled upstairs. The dress she wore now felt clingy and uncomfortable, so she changed into some loose pyjamas. Then she went back down to the kitchen to make something for dinner, before realizing that she wasn't even that hungry. Her mind was racing. She couldn't believe what had happened. For all her and Naruto were going on these "dates", she hadn't expected anything more than some quality time with a friend. Things were becoming too intense. She was feeling things that she hadn't in a long time. The rush of meeting someone, and of forming a connection with them. She had finally found someone that she felt a spark of… something, for. And it was with Naruto of all people.

He was a man now, and he held many attractive qualities. He was handsome, kind, chivalrous, noble… But she had also known him from his boyhood, and watched him grow up alongside Sasuke. She looked after him when Kushina was busy, taught him how to do algebra after school. Or at least attempt it anyway. He always struggled with that. Kissing him was surely out of line, not matter how amazing it had felt. Mikoto's lips had tingled for minutes after there kiss. It had been brief, yet sensational. Was it the best kiss she'd ever had? She tried to rationalize it, and play it down to herself. But a deeper, more honest part of mind said that it was. She felt terrible for leaving things the way they were, leaving Naruto without saying much. He had looked heart broken when she'd pulled away from the kiss, immediately understanding something was wrong.

She decided to pour herself a more than generous glass of wine, then try to settle on the couch and read. She could get lost in the story and forget her conflicted thoughts for a while. She sat and picked up her current book, which as it happened was actually another entry in the "Death At Midnight" series they'd seen early that day. She flicked through to find the page she'd last been on.

_The detective crept through the warehouse like a spirit, making no sound. The gun in her hand felt cold as ice. She liked that. It bolstered her courage. She stopped, hearing footsteps up ahead. She pulled back the hammer and hugged the wall to her left, moving with calculated precision. She reached the corner, and peered around it. She saw her quarry's shadow up head. He was just around the next turn. She took a deep breath, steadying herself as she raised the gun, and stepped carefully around the corner. She snuck closer, her heart beating faster with every step. She reached the end of the narrow passage and stepped around it._

_"_ _Freeze." She said. Her voice was like steel. She was thankful. It masked her fear. The criminal halted in place. He slowly raised both hands, and tilted his head just enough to look over his shoulder_

_"_ _So, you found me?" His sounded amused. His voice was like velvet. The detective stepped forward, placing the gun against his back._

_"_ _It's over. You're coming with me." She commanded. He chuckled._

_"_ _It would be my pleasure." He turned slowly. She saw his piercing blue eyes…_

Mikoto blinked and did a double take. His eyes weren't blue. _Green eyes. It says green..._ She shook her head and continued.

_She saw his piercing green eyes first. The detective felt a shiver as their gaze locked. He was at least a dozen years her junior. His blonde hair shimmered in the low lamp light…_

She read it wrong again. She scanned the sentence several times. _Brown hair. The character has brown hair…_

_His brown hair shimmered in the low lamp light, as he smiled at the detective roguishly. He moved suddenly. He batted the gun from her hand. It flew behind her and clattered against the floor. The detective grabbed his wrist and shoved him back against the wall, pinning him there. They glared at each other, they faces inches apart._

_"_ _We keep ending up like this…" He uttered in a low growl. She smirked back._

_"_ _Then you should stop running…" She whispered breathlessly. They looked at each other, knowing exactly what the other was thinking. They kissed. She let go of one of his hands, putting hers on his chest. He gripped her waist and pulled her closer…_

Mikoto shut the book firmly and but it to the side. She was becoming to distracted to follow it. She imagined the scene she was reading clear enough, but her mind kept substituting the characters for other figures. She saw herself in the titular detective's shoes, while the criminal seemed to be a tall, blonde figure, with tanned skin, and eyes bluer than blue... She rubbed her face with both hands and groaned. She had never felt more alone.


	6. Crossroads

Mikoto stirred her coffee idly, looking off into space. The break room at work was merciful empty, and she was thankful to have the space to herself, at least for a little while. Her head was aching, and forcing herself to look at the computer screen for hours on end wasn't helping. The previous night she had been restless, struggling to get to sleep. She was still dwelling on her last encounter with Naruto. On one hand she thought it was all silly. They had shared a brief kiss, it was hardly anything to worry about. She had probably just gotten swept up in the moment. But at the same time, thinking about it, recall looking into his eyes, seeing how much he clearly wanted her, made Mikoto's heart race, and those feelings were both exciting and terrifying. _You're being ridiculous. Stop obsessing over him like you're a school girl!_ She berated herself again and again, trying to force her mind on to other things.

But she hadn't felt this way in years. She hadn't been in the company of a man who genuinely interested her, made her feel appreciated, cared for, since perhaps the earliest years of her marriage. It wasn't that being with Naruto, and kissing him, was off-putting. Far from it. In fact that's what had taken her by surprise, and shocked her so badly. It had felt good, and right. Thrilling even. It scared Mikoto how quickly Naruto, and man half her age she'd watch grow up, had charmed her, and made her feel like a teenager again. That she even seemed to be falling…

"Mikoto!" She jumped at the sound of her own name. She looked up from the mug in front of her and saw her boss, and friend, Tsunade standing at the door of the break room.

"Oh, hi Tsunade, I wasn't paying attention, sorry."

"I said did you call Kakashi? Samui told me she passed his number on to you." _Ah, this again…_ Mikoto thought.

"No not yet. I've been busy." Mikoto said, doing her best to bury the irritation that suddenly reared up from being disturbed.

"Well you'd better hurry, I'm not going to wait much longer."

"There's no need to wait for me." Tsunade looked at her friend, raising her eyebrows.

"...Is everything ok?"

"Yes, why?"

"You seem a little off."

"I'm fine." There was a brief pause while Tsunade eyed Mikoto carefully.

"Is it this mystery man Samui told me you've been seeing?" Mikoto clenched her eyes shut and sighed.

"She can't keep anything to herself can she?"

"She means well." Tsunade said, walking forward and sitting opposite her raven haired friend. "We all do. I know it can come across like we're intruding sometimes, but we just want to see you happy." Tsunade said with an caring smile. For all she could be a fierce boss, she was also a mother hen to everyone that worked for her. Like Samui, she genuinely cared about Mikoto's well being, and tried to arrange suitors for her when possible.

"Could I get your advise on something?…" Mikoto asked in an unsure tone.

"Of course."

"There is someone I've been seeing. Very casually. A friend of mine in fact." Mikoto said, choosing her words very carefully.

"And it's been good?"

"Yes, very good. Nothing serious, but better than any dates I can remember." She found she didn't have to lie.

"That's great, god knows you deserve some fun."

"But I never intended to really date him, we were just spending time together. We're… he's a close family friend. And recently I've started to… feel things for him. More than I expected. I don't know whether we can pursue something like that." Tsunade looked at Mikoto with a degree of incredulity.

"He's single?"

"Yes."

"And you are too?"

"Yes."

"And you make each other happy?"

"I think so… I enjoy being with him." Mikoto said. There was a pause.

"...Good looking?" Tsunade pried with a smirk. Mikoto laughed.

"...Yes, I suppose he is."

"Then it seems fairly obvious to me." Tsunade said. "Doesn't seem like there's any reason to hold back. Maybe it'll strain you friendship. Maybe it won't. Talk to him, find out what he wants and decide together. You'll never know until you try." Tsunade stood and made her way back to the door. Without turning she added, "And if you don't, send him my way." Mikoto laughed again, watching her blonde friend leave. While Mikoto was sure any man would find plenty of things attractive about her boss, she wasn't sure Naruto would be up for such a challenge. _She would eat him alive,_ Mikoto thought, giggling despite herself.

Mikoto felt lighter after the chat with Tsunade, and was able to focus more easily through the rest of the day. She still wasn't sure what to do about the situation with Naruto. Tsunade had made it sound so easy, but unfortunately the extent of the details she hadn't shared were still weighing on her. She kept imagining Kushina or Sasuke finding out about the kiss they'd shared. There were no scenarios she could think of where that information came across well. But she supposed Tsunade had been right. She needed to talk to Naruto. She felt bad about leaving him so suddenly for a start, but they also needed to clear the air, and come to an understanding about what they'd been doing, and how they would proceed.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

By the time Mikoto was back home that night she was feeling a lot more at ease about the situation with Naruto. She would get in touch with him, arrange a time to meet in person, and they would work it all out. She had not been home long before she received a surprise call from someone else however. Her eldest son, Itachi. She picked the the phone quickly when she saw his name flash up on the screen, excited to hear from him.

"Hello mom."

"Hello Itachi, how are you?" She said, pleased to hear her eldest son's voice again.

"I'm doing well thank you. And you?"

"Oh I'm fine, same old same old… Will you still be coming home on Sunday?"

"Yes, I've had the holiday time booked in for months now. Is Sasuke there already?" He inquired.

"No he's coming in the same day, he's got a few more papers and things to do before coming home." Mikoto heard him chuff into the phone.

"He always thrives on work doesn't he?"

"Well you're both very much alike. So what have you been up to?"

"Not much besides work unfortunately. The hospital keeps me busy most days…" There was the slightest pause that Mikoto noticed after Itachi spoke. She thought she knew what he was going to say next. And she was right. "…I did see dad last month…" He added. Mikoto nodded to herself.

Mikoto and Fugaku didn't communicate much any more, only when to arrange a date for the boys to go and visit there father, which as they got older and more independent, was less frequent. She felt it was best to avoid talking to him or seeing him after their separation. They could get on amiably enough for their son's sake, but anything more than that would no doubt bring up bad feelings that she didn't need in her life. But at the same time she didn't want her sons to feel like they should avoid talking about their dad just for her sake.

"Oh, how is he?" She asked politely.

"He's well, very much into the business as usual. Though he does have a new girlfriend…" Itachi said with a hint of humour and exacerbation. Mikoto raised her eyebrows and smiled.

"Another? Can't stay on one for very long, can he?" She said, her tone matching her sons.

"Apparently she's an apprentice at his firm. She's barely older than me..." Itachi chuckled. Mikoto paused.

"Are you there mom?"

"Oh… yes sorry… well I just hope they're happy." She blurted out quickly, trying to ignore the sudden image of a certain blonde haired young man from her mind. "Anyway, tell me about the hospital…" She declared, trying to bring the topic of conversation back to Itachi himself.

They talked for a little while, before Itachi had to go back to work, as he was on a lunch break at the time. She couldn't be prouder of him. All his years of hard study had paid off. His internship was going well and in just a few short years he was going to be a fully fledged doctor. Speaking with her son helped ease Mikoto's mind. Itachi had always been very level-headed and a good conversationalist, and chatting with him made her look forward to having her sons back even more , if just for awhile.

She looked back at her phone and scrolled down to Naruto's name and contact number. She was more certain now that she wanted to clear up the state she found herself in. She would get this business with Naruto squared away, and then enjoy the rest of the summer break with her boys.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto had paced about the house, not sure what to do with himself. He felt like he was drowning in kept worrying about the kiss with Mikoto, and her reaction afterwards. He had never seen her so panicked before. He considered sending her a text, but wasn't sure if she would even want to talk to him, given how she had fled. _If Sasuke finds out I kissed his mom he's gonna really kill me. And I can't exactly blame him…_

It had all gotten out of hand so quickly. In retrospect Naruto wasn't sure what they have been doing. What had started as a simple dinner between friends was now muddled with all sorts of intense feelings. Naruto knew why it had gotten this way from his side. The opportunity to spend time with Mikoto, and indulge in his childhood crush on her had been to hard to pass up. It gave him a tantalising glimpse of what it would actually be like to date her, to be her boyfriend, even if it was never going to happen. But why had she indulged him in the first place, after shooting him down? And why had she kissed him? Did she feel something for him too? His mind told him not to get his hopes up.

Naruto was in the kitchen, preparing dinner for him and his mom. He needed more practice cooking things beyond microwave meals and Kushina had amassed a number of recipes and cookbooks over the years. She had picked out something for him to try she didn't think would be too hard. A beef stew. She commented that learning to make large, batch dinners would be useful for feeding both Naruto, and Sasuke, on a student's budget. Thankfully Naruto also found focusing on cooking was also a helpful way of distracting himself from the Mikoto situation, so he throw himself head first into the task. At least, it was to begin with. He was a good way through chopping up some carrots, potatoes and onions when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He finished what he was doing, put down the knife, and pulled out his phone, blinking at the name on the screen. Mikoto. He quickly opened the message, feeling his stomach drop.

_Hi Naruto, hope you're ok. I was wondering if you would like to come over sometime? I think we need to chat._

He looked at the message for a long moment. It sounded vaguely ominous to him. Was she still upset? Was she mad at him? He didn't have much time think about it before another followed it seconds later.

_If it helps convince you, I'll make us some ramen. :)_

He smiled. _I guess we're cool…_ he thought, feeling the tension inside him deflate. He quickly typed back.

_Yea, I'd love too! Tomorrow maybe?_

_Sure, come around about 6?_

_Cool, I'll see you then!_

"You look pleased, something I should know about?" Kushina asked, smirking as she peeked her head around the door frame. Naruto hadn't even realized how wide he'd been smiling at his phone and jumped at the sound of her voice. He looked at her blankly.

"Urm… I was just texting the guys from school. We're uh… gonna hang out tomorrow night." He garbled, feeling like he'd been caught doing something bad. His mom watched him carefully.

"Mmm… to be young again." She teased. "Just let me know if you're coming home late, and try not to cause any trouble this time." Kushina said in a playful sing song manner. She inhaled the scent of cooked meet in the kitchen and hummed. "Smelling good so far. Don't let it burn." She added before she went back to the living room. Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the messages. He was glad Mikoto seemed to be in good spirits. And he guessed she was right, they did need to talk.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto knocked on the door, shifting from one foot to the other nervously. He was dressed somewhat smartly, in his nicest jeans and a freshly ironed shirt. It wasn't so much for Mikoto's sake, but to successfully convince his mom that he was going out with his friends. Naruto found he really hated going behind her back like this. He was always open with her about everything, but this wasn't something he knew how to discuss. He wasn't even sure what he would say to Mikoto yet.

A few seconds later he saw Mikoto's silhouette through the glass, moving down the hall towards the door. He heard the lock click, the door opened, and she stood before him, casually dressed in a blouse and skirt, with an apron over the top. She greeted him warmly.

"Hi, come on in." She said, with a kind smile that made Naruto feel significantly more at ease. He wondered if she felt as nervous as he did. He returned her greeting and stepped inside, catching the scent of his favourite food emanating from the kitchen.

"Wow that smells great!" He exclaimed almost childishly. Mikoto chuckled as she shut the door behind him.

"Well I've made it for you enough times over the years to know how you like it. It's almost ready." She said, gesturing for him to follow as she led the way into the kitchen come dining room. Two bowls sat on the counter, filled with steaming noodles, meat and vegetables. The aroma made Naruto's mouth water. The only person he knew that could make proper ramen as good as, if not better than his mom, was Mikoto.

"Go ahead and sit down, I'll be over in a sec." She said, going back to the stove and finishing the broth.

Naruto watched her in silence as she performed the tasks in her kitchen workspace with ease. Cooking seemed to come so naturally to her. He had never once in the years he'd visit the Uchiha household, ever seen her ever get flustered in kitchen, or second guess herself when making something. He supposed it wasn't surprising. Raising two boys on your own was bound to force you to develop skills in certain things. But then he began to think about Sasuke and Itachi, and how they always seemed to be good at pretty much anything they put their minds too. _Maybe that drive to excel runs in the family. Maybe they got it from her…_ he considered. He thought it was an attractive quality.

Naruto's pondering was interrupted when Mikoto turned and walked towards the dining table, bring the bowls with her. It smelled divine. He had tried to cut back on his favourite dish since taking an active interest in exercise and fitness, since sadly ramen wasn't always the healthiest meal. But his self control when it came to food was wafer thin, and he'd be damned if he was going turn down such an amazing home made version. She placed the bowl in front of him and sat at the opposite end of the table with hers.

"Thanks for dinner. I can never get tired of your cooking." Naruto said, picking up a set of chopsticks already laid out on the table.

"You'd say that to anyone as long as they made you ramen." Mikoto retorted.

"It's still true though!" They both chuckled and began to eat.

They ate in silence, enjoying their meal, though neither of them able to find a way to start a conversation. As the dinner went on they both felt increasingly uncomfortable. There was tension hanging in the air that hadn't been present before. On there previous dates it had been so easy, despite their age difference, and presumed lack of common interests, to find endless topics to discuss. Now neither one wanted to be the first to speak, fearing what might happen next. Eventually Mikoto spoke up, mentioning that Itachi had called. Naruto perked up, curious about how her eldest son was doing, but that conversation ended as quickly as it started, punctuated by more silence.

The dinner seemed to drag on for ages, but eventually they finished their meals. Mikoto barely ate half of her dinner, spending a lot of the time pushing the contents of her bowl around with her chopsticks, lost in thought. Even Naruto had left a sizeable amount uneaten, (which was almost unheard of for him). Mikoto stood, taking their bowls and putting them on the counter by the sink. She took a deep breath, trying to summon the courage to steer them both towards the inevitable conversation they were here to have. _Come on, you asked him here. You have to take the lead,_ she commanded herself.

"Shall we go in the living room. It'll be more comfortable to chat there." She said dryly, glancing over her shoulder. Naruto's mouth hung open, then he closed it, nodding at her. He stood and pushed the chair pack in place before walking out down the corridor. Mikoto followed him.

Naruto sat on the couch, while Mikoto took a seat opposite on a chair facing him. They both looked at each other. There was a clock down the hall that ticked, sounding incredibly loud and exposing the awkward silence. It was hard to believe just days before they hat been so open and easy going in one another's presence. Now they both felt like they were walking on egg shells. Mikoto braced herself, and began to speak.

"So… first things first…" she said. "I wanted to apologize about last time…"

"Y-you don't need to, you did nothing wrong." Naruto replied quickly.

"Please, let me finish... I didn't handle the situation very well. I panicked and no doubt made you feel bad about the whole thing, so I want to say sorry for that." She said, looking down at her hands resting on her lap. Naruto nodded slowly. "And… I want to also apologize about kissing you. I'm not sure that was completely appropriate." She added in a quieter voice.

"It's ok, really…" Naruto said with a bashful smile. "To be honest, if you hadn't, then I think I would have..." Again, the room was quiet. Mikoto shifted in her seat. The corner of her lips turned up just a little bit, like she was trying to smile, but something was holding her back. Naruto moved forward slightly, sitting on the edge of the sofa seat.

"Can I ask you something?" He said.

"Of course."

"Why did you kiss me, if you think it wasn't the right thing to do? And why did you want to leave so suddenly?" Mikoto inhaled.

"I…I don't know. In the moment, it seemed right… But…" She felt his eyes on her, his gaze holding such intensity that she had to look away.

"But what?" He said empathetically. He was trying to understand, wanting to know what she was feeling.

Mikoto sighed and rubbed her face. _Maybe I should of thought this through before inviting him over._ She looked back at him, steadying herself.

"I need to know something Naruto…" Mikoto began. He nodded, letting her speak uninterrupted. "Last week, when you first said you liked me, and you wanted to date me... What were your intentions exactly?" She asked evenly. Naruto blinked and cocked his head.

"I… what do you mean?" He asked in return.

"This whole thing about liking me, wanting to take me out on dates, everything. What did you want from it? Were you just looking for a one time fling or something?" She asked, her voice laced with scrutiny.

"Do you think I just wanted to sleep with you?" He asked incredulously.

"I don't know, that's what I'm trying to find out. This has all come out of nowhere." She countered. Naruto scoffed.

"No, I never just wanted you like that."

"Then what did you think would happen between us?"

"I don't know… I never thought we would, be anything. I just… I've had a crush on you for years. I want to be with you. I always have… I dunno why. I know tons of cute girls from school, and college. But for some reason you've always been stuck in my head. I dunno why. I just…" He shook his head. "All I know is, since I was like, twelve, I've thought you were beautiful and amazing, and I always hoped I meet someone half as good as you… You deserve a great guy to appreciate you, and I'd kill for the chance to make you happy." Naruto blurted out, then seemed to realize everything he'd said and shrunk back in his chair. Mikoto felt her heart swell in her chest, lost for words at his admission. She smiled warmly at him, and reached over, putting a hand on his knee.

"That's a nice image Naruto… but I don't think we can have that. It's too complicated." She felt like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. He sat up again and looked at her pleadingly.

"Why not? We're so good together Mikoto. I've never felt like this with any girl!"

"Naruto, how do you think your mom, or Sasuke, or Itachi would react to you and me together?" She asked calmly. He seemed dumbstruck for a moment.

"I… don't know. I guess upset… But no one else's opinion should matter!"

"Imagine if Sasuke started dating your mom. How would you feel?" She asked him. Naruto paused. Mikoto almost laughed watching his face gradually contort as he played the scenario in his head.

"I guess it would be a little weird…" He admitted.

"Yes I think so too. And your mom…" Mikoto gathered herself. "…she's been my best friend for years. We've helped each other through the ups and downs. I'm so grateful I had her during the divorce.…" Mikoto breathed deeply, feeling unexpectedly emotional all of a sudden. "…I feel like being together with you would be, breaking her trust, I suppose. And I love your mom, she's like a sister to me, I don't want to hurt her." Naruto nodded. He realized he had underestimated just how close his mom and Mikoto were. He had always assumed that their friendship was a result of his and Sasuke's relationship, but of course, it was deeper than that. His mom was a widow, Mikoto a divorcee. They were both young women who had suddenly become single parents, and they turned to each other for support through their mutual grief.

Naruto placed his hand on the one Mikoto had resting on his knee. He stroked his thumb over her knuckles, wishing he had the freedom to scoop her up in his arms. But he didn't think she would react well to that. She was conflicted, he knew that now. There was a part of her that felt something for him, maybe something that was barely a fraction of what he felt for her. But,understandably, she was also hesitant about moving forward beyond what they were.

"Mikoto-san… I never expected you to ever feel the way I do about you… But I think we could be really good together…" Naruto implored. Her dark eyes met his blue ones. She drew her hand away from his and placed it back on her lap.

"I'm sorry Naruto, we can't." She uttered in a tired voice.

"Why not? We could just keep it between us… try it out for a while and see…" He offered desperately.

"It's… too complicated…"

"But if it wasn't, you would want to, right?" He pressed further. He wasn't letting it go. Mikoto looked at him disbelievingly, clearing getting annoyed.

"I'm beginning to see why Sasuke gets so frustrated with you." She groaned in aggravation.

"Well I can tell why he's so stubborn too!" He retorted. There was a moment they glared at one another before they both started chuckling, not with genuine humour, but at how absurd everything had become between them.

"So… what are we going to do then?" Naruto asked, finally relenting. Mikoto sighed.

"I think it's best we move on. We've had fun, and I appreciate how kind you've been to be, but this is for the best." Mikoto said calmly. Naruto nodded, unable to hide the dejection on his face.

Once more they both sat in silence. Each tick of the clock punctuated the quiet like a gunshot. Naruto slumped back on the sofa and raised one arm, rubbing the back of his head. He looked at Mikoto and smiled disappointedly.

"It's a shame… I was hoping we'd get to dance one day." He admitted. Mikoto chuckled.

"That would have been nice…" Mikoto said softly. Then Naruto looked at her with a glint in his eye. He smirked mischievously, took out his phone and started typing.

"What is it?" She asked, trying to lean over and see what he was doing.

"Just a sec…" He mumbled. _What is he up too?_ Mikoto thought. After a minute or so, a soft, slow piano melody began to play from his phone. She looked at Naruto curiously. He placed the phone down on the arm of the couch and then stood up, stepping towards her.

"How 'bout a dance?" He offered softly, holding out his hand towards hers. The warm smile on his face made him look impossibly handsome. Mikoto laughed, shaking her head. She felt a sudden, unrestrained wave of affection for him.

"How can I say no to that?" She replied. She reached up, placing her hand in his and stood with his assistance.

Naruto's smile broke into a wide grin.

"I have no idea what to do, so you'll have to take the lead I guess." He admitted. Mikoto giggled again, finding it all ridiculous and amusing. She looked around, making sure they had enough space, then glanced down to their feet.

"Ok, I'll try. It's been awhile though…" She warned. Mikoto searched through her memories, trying to recall the limited dancing knowledge she hadn't used in over two decades. She was pleasantly surprised as it gradually started to come back to her. She looked back up at Naruto and smiled. "So, we put our hands here, like this…" Mikoto raised her right and Naruto's left hand up to their eye level, out to the side. "Then, you put your arm under mine…" She guided his free right arm beneath her left armpit, and felt his palm rest on her shoulder blade. His lips parted a little while he watched her intently. Finally she raised her left hand and put it on his right bicep, feeling the solid muscle beneath her fingers. She had to resist giving it a squeeze. They took a moment to look at each other. Just being in the proper stance brought about a powerful wave of nostalgia over Mikoto. She hadn't done this for so long, but there was an immediate sense of comfort she found in it.

Naruto felt his pulse quicken as they stood together, in the middle of Mikoto's living room, poised to begin dancing. He watched her face as she thought about what to do next, or perhaps waited to find her place with the music. He could still remember the days when he had to look up when talking to her. Now he was at least two inches taller than Mikoto, enough so she had too look up at him at this close proximity. Her lips pursed thoughtfully as she looked to her right, then back to him. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to wrap his arms around her and kiss her. He had to summon every ounce of willpower to stay put where he was.

"Ok, so, step with your left foot first. Follow me…" Mikoto said, glancing up at him. Naruto nodded, barely paying enough attention to follow her instructions. She started moving. She placed her right foot to the side in time with the music, and Naruto hastily moved his left to match her. He stepped a little too wide, but Mikoto seemed to notice it before it happened and quickly corrected it.

"Sorry…" Naruto said awkwardly, righting himself. Mikoto laughed, and her voice sound so sweet.

"It's ok. Just follow me… One… Two… Three… Four… One… Two… Three… Four…" She counting at a slow, regular pace, under her breath and in time with the music. Naruto nodded his head slightly with each beat, beginning to find the rhythm.

About a minute passed and the pair seemed to get the hang of the song, and each other. They moved back and forth, in a slow clockwise circle within the little section of the living room they had carved out for themselves to dance in.

"See? You are good at this." Mikoto complimented.

"Cause I have a great teacher." Naruto replied. Mikoto smirked with a gleam of mischief in her eye.

"Are you ready to spin me?" She asked playfully. Naruto looked at her quizzically for a moment then nodded. He had a vague idea of what to do. She came even closer to him, her chest pressed against his. Her face encompassed the whole range of his vision. The urge to kiss her rose up again. Then her smile widened. She let go of his bicep and stepped away from him, raising her other arm. She then spun around, giggling. Countless times afterwards, Naruto would recall her like that, an image frozen in time. Mikoto twirling before him, her raven hair spilling out behind her, bathed in the soft warm light of the living room. Elegant and beyond beautiful. She finished her rotation and moved away from him, so their arms were out stretched, then Naruto pulled her back towards him. Mikoto stumbled a little and collided with his chest harder than she had intended, though not so much to cause any damage. They were both giggling hard, giving one another breathless apologies. Naruto put his arms around Mikoto, holding her close to him. She wrapped hers around his neck in response. There laughter eventually settled down, and they stayed together, swaying gently as the music kept playing.

"Don't think we're winning any prizes, but that wasn't too bad." Naruto joked. Mikoto looked up at him and smiled. Naruto thought there was a great deal of sadness just below the surface of that smile.

"Can we stay like this for a bit please?" She whispered. Her downhearted tone broke his heart. Naruto brought one hand up to the back of her head and nestled her closer into his shoulder. He felt her grip on him tighten, like he might slip away from her. The first piece of music ended, and another gentle song began to play in the background as the unlikely pair stood holding one another, each reluctant to let the other go.


	7. Giving In

They held each other, slowly swaying back and forth to the music. Mikoto rested her her head on Naruto's shoulder, smiling softly at the feel of his hand gently caressing up and down her back. A few minutes passed, with neither one of them of making a move, instead relishing in the intimacy they were sharing. In spite of the conclusion they'd come too, that their fledgeling relationship couldn't go any further, neither of them could deny how much they wanted the other's embrace.

Mikoto sighed and nestled into Naruto's shoulder, breathing in his scent, letting it overrun her senses. In that moment she would have struggled to recall ever feeling so completely secure and relaxed. Being in his arms felt right. There was something about the two of them being together like this that just fit, in a way that was allusive and indescribable to her.

It was only now Mikoto realized just how badly she had needed this. Having someone to talk to, and listen to. To share ideas and spend time with. To have the intimacy of being in another's arms. Companionship. They had been things she'd dreamt of long before getting married. Things that she'd thought would be inevitable, and that had for whatever reason sadly alluded her. But now perhaps, there was a chance… There was a man who cared for her, treated her right, and wanted her. Not selfishly, but wanted to be the man that could make her happy. And there was no denying it, she wanted more of Naruto too. The short time they'd spent in each other's company had been the best she'd had with a man in god knows how long. And all those things he'd said about being with her, and taking care of her, were more than just a little appealing. Maybe she could have it all, with the least likely person she would have imagined, if she was just willing to risk it…

Mikoto looked up at Naruto, and slowly moved one hand up to cup his cheek, running her thumb along the three thin scars there. His mouth opened slightly as though to speak, but nothing came out. Just silence as the pair gazed at each other, assessing their thoughts and granting silent permission to go further. Naruto's heart thumped in his chest. He couldn't look away from those jet black eyes, that drew all of his attention, and made him chest ache with desire.

When he was in school, his friends Sakura, Ino and the most of the other girls would flock together, and gossip about Sasuke, swooning over his best friend. He'd overhear them taking about his stunning eyes, his gorgeous raven hair, and his beautifully symmetrical face. Naruto would act sulky and jealous of the attention his friend got, but deep down, he understood what the girls were saying all to well. Because Mikoto had all of those features too, and they were often on his mind. He wondered whether, back in her teenage years, all the boys had a crush on her, like the girls seemed to with Sasuke. He thought they probably did.

Naruto felt her hand move slowly towards the back of his head, and her fingers work their way into his soft golden hair. He let out a brief involuntary moan. Mikoto chuckled.

"Good?" She whispered, amused. He nodded lazily.

"Yea…" He groaned, shivering with each gentle brush the tips of her fingers made along the back of his scalp.

"Like having your head scratched?" She asked, a soft smile creeping across her face.

"I guess so… No ones ever done this for me before… feels amazing…" His eyes fluttered closed, lost in the sensation of her fingertips delicately toying with his hair and scalp.

"I've always thought you had lovely hair. The colour's gorgeous…" Mikoto added remotely. Naruto felt a shiver run through him. The combination of her tender caresses along with the soft timbre of her voice were making his head spin. He let out a small laugh. Mikoto tilted her head curiously.

"What is it?" She asked softly.

"I just…you don't know how much I've thought about… holding you like this. I can't believe it's real." He admitted, opening his eyes and bringing one hand up to brush some loose strands of raven hair behind her ear.

"Is it everything you thought it would be?" She teased, trying to ignore the quiver she felt as his palm brushed past her cheek.

"And more…" He whispered back in a husky tone. They looked at each other for a long while. Naruto's hands dropped to her hips and he moved as close as he could get to her. Mikoto tightened her grip on him, their faces mere inches from one another. They leaned closer together, shutting their eyes in unison.

Their lips met.

Their first kiss as lovers was slow and tender. Neither one wanted to push too far in fear of ruining the moment. They stayed motionless for what felt like ages, their bodies pressed flush together. They were both tense at the first contact, but slowly relaxed, sighing through their noses before starting to move their lips. Neither one of them fled this time. They both hummed in approval as they explored each other, tilting their heads this way and that to find the best angle for them. They broke apart momentarily and shared a silent look that told each other everything.

_Was that ok?_

_Yes…_

_Should we keep going?_

_Don't stop…_

They moved in for a another kiss, with more confidence this time as they're lips clashed. Without thinking, Mikoto tightened the grip on Naruto's hair, causing him to groan in her mouth. She was about to pull back and check he was ok when he pressed even more firmly into the kiss, taking her breath away. She moaned and her other hand pawed at his chest, clinging to him for balance. She thought her knees might give out beneath her. She felt his tongue brush against her lips and she opened her mouth wider, granting him entrance. Naruto's held her even tighter as their tongues clashed. Mikoto's heart hammered against her chest. She could feel the blood rushing in her veins, carrying heat to every part of her body. A distant part of her mind wondered how many girls he'd kissed before, because though he had professed to not having all that much experience, he was a damn good kisser. _And why on earth did you run away from this exactly?_ She questioned herself.

Mikoto was so engaged in the kiss that she almost didn't feel his left hand slowly slide down and around her, tentatively squeezing her behind. She gasped into his mouth. Naruto pulled back and looked at her apologetically, swiftly removing his hand from her body.

"S-sorry…" He muttered. Mikoto took a breath and smiled at him.

"It's ok…" She replied. It had taken her by surprise, but it had also felt good. Mikoto reached down, took his hand, and placed where it had been, on her backside. He studied her face carefully, and then smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze. She saw a glimmer of arousal in his eye, which made her heart race even faster.

They resumed their kiss, both of them groaning with mounting need and passion. A sudden possessive impulse took over Mikoto. Noticing how he reacted when she'd accidentally pulled his hair, she used the hold she still had on it and tugged him again, deliberately this time, causing him to gasp. His kiss faltered for just a moment, and it allowed her to push her tongue forward into his mouth, assuming the lead. Mikoto felt him relent and melt into the kiss, following her movements.

The voice in Mikoto's head, which she barely registered as she was currently quite occupied, wondered how this had happened. They were meant to end this thing between them. Now they were standing in her living room, in each other's arms, the two of them groping and making out like horny teenagers. She was unable to proceed with those thoughts, as she felt Naruto's right hand work it's way up her body, moving around to the front, and cupping her breast with an open palm. She sighed in to his mouth, feeling a fresh shiver burst down her spine.

Eventually they pulled away, gasping for air. They rested their foreheads together and panted, feeling the other's hot breath against their face. Mikoto was suddenly aware of Naruto's prominent bulge pressed against her hip. Her mouth went dry. _He's hard for me…_ The realization was obvious, yet still left her dumbstruck. _Is this really happening?_ She looked into his eyes with a hooded gaze.

"Naruto…" She muttered and bit her was fully aware of the decision they had made. The line she felt she couldn't cross, in spite of what she might want. But Fugaku had never made her feel like this. No one had. _God what is he doing to me…_

"Mikoto?" He uttered in that same gruff tone that made her shiver yet again. She thought she felt his bulge shift against the top of her thigh. She felt a little pulse of heat emanate from her core. A hunger, a need to be filled. There was no stopping it.

"...Would you like to stay tonight?" She offered, gently lifting and pressing her leg forward against his stiff manhood. Naruto trembled and inhaled through clenched teeth, rocking his hips. He opened his eyes and looked at her with a lustful drive that made her shudder.

"...If you'll have me…" He growled, offering her a way out. Still giving her the chance to not regret anything. Mikoto considered. _If he stays, I'll never want him to leave. I'll fall for him completely._ She knew it for certain. Mikoto let go of his hair and moved her hand back to his cheek, tenderly holding it in her palm. She smiled, kissed his lips sweetly, and then answered.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

They stumbled into the bedroom, kicking their footwear off along the way, kissing and groping one another with all the energy of lust crazed teenagers heading towards their first time. _But then, maybe this sort of is?_ Mikoto considered, one of a million thoughts racing through her head. She'd had boyfriends before Fukagu, and they had been perfectly acceptable, for teenage romances. She'd explored her sexuality in her youth, and while fun, those encounters were not as world-shaking for her as her partners had clearly found them. Fukagu himself had been a decent enough lover, though as he was with everything, the act was executed coldly. Romance and sex were always clinical with him. Tasks that he performed well, always hitting a certain standard, but nothing more. Her participation was simply to be there, and feel it happen. Naruto was something entirely different. No one had clung to her so desperately before. Had ran their hands across her body, squeezing the soft curves of her rear and lifting her thigh around their waist. Kissed her till she was breathless, then kept kissing her, moving along her jaw to her neck, kissing and nibbling the soft pale skin, moaning her name into her ear in a way that made her body thrum with desire. He was doing something to her no one else had.

Mikoto felt her back against a wall and gasped as his body pressed against hers, her breasts pressing into Naruto's firm chest. She looped both arms around his neck and stood on her toes, trying to gain some leverage and kiss him back with the intensity he was giving her. She felt his hips rock forward and grind himself against her. She trembled and made a sound that was partially his name. Naruto pulled back and stopped kissing her, resting their foreheads together. He was unable to hide the slight smirk as he continued to grind his hips in a slow, steady rhythm, in the exact right place. _Is this how good it can be?_ She mused.

"Still ok?" Naruto asked though heavy breaths. Mikoto nodded and gave him a reassuring smile back.

"You're far too good at this…" She joked, letting her head fall back as she moved her hips, matching his pace. She saw him blush and grin back at her.

"You're not bad yourself…" He replied.

Naruto was losing his mind. He had grown up imagining himself in a great many situations and scenarios, with a variety of different girls, as teens tended to do. Mikoto had been chief among them. Some of those daydreams were as innocent as musings on romantic dates, and future potential domestic life. Others were salacious fantasies that would dominate his thoughts until he next had a chance to gain release. Nothing however had prepared him for how it felt to have Mikoto in his arms, pressed against the wall, muttering his name as he ground his cock against her in a way that made his knees shake.

Naruto felt Mikoto's hands on his chest and she pushed gently. He looked at her, half expecting this to be the moment when she brought their night to an abrupt end. When she'd decided to go with her better judgement and stop them from doing something foolish. The look in her eyes told him otherwise.

"Help me get this off…" Mikoto muttered, reaching for the buttons of her blouse. Naruto licked his lips and fumbled for the lowest buttons while she started from the top. They found their fingers lacked some of their usual dexterity, and it took them a few attempts to undo several of the fastenings. They just looked at each other and laughed, feeling some of the tension defuse. Once open, Mikoto pulled the blouse off slowly and dropped it absently on the floor to her side. She lent back against the wall, the black bra that was now revealed contrasting against her pale skin, which seemed to glow under the warm low light of her bedroom.

Naruto stared at her, transfixed. He reached for the hem of his shirt, slowly pulling it over his head and discarding as she had. They stood opposite each other for a few moments, regarding each other's bodies. Mikoto bit her lip watching his abdominal muscles flex and relax as he reacted to the cool evening air on his bare chest. _He's certainly built like a man,_ she thought. He had always been a lanky boy, but now Mikoto could really see how Naruto had grown into himself. _And he probably worked at it too._ His arms and shoulders had begun to develop well defined planes of muscle, along with his well built chest that tapered off to his lean waist. She was practically salivating at the sight of him. She composed herself and looked down, reaching for her skirt and beginning to tug it from her waist.

Naruto jumped to attention and suddenly started moving, undoing his jeans while watching what Mikoto was doing. He rushed to catch up with her, pulling them down just as her skirt passed her knees. They both stepped to one side out of their clothes, standing in only their underwear for moment, before stripping those off as well. Once done, they stood opposite one another, completely naked, their bodies flushed with colour. Mikoto's eyes fell to Naruto's groin and she practically purred, seeing him stand to attention. She could have laughed at the way he was looking at her. His eyes were as big as saucepans as they roamed up and down her body. She instinctively put her right arm across her chest, holding her opposite shoulder in a self-comforting gesture. Mikoto felt more than a little uneasy at standing nude before her son's best friend, regardless of how aroused she was. Naruto stepped forward, putting his hands on her waist.

"God you're gorgeous." He whispered, pulling her close and kissing her lips briefly. Mikoto laughed, leaning forward and kissing him back.

"Such a sweet talker." She replied. He stopped kissing her and gave her a serious look.

"I mean it. You're beautiful Mikoto." He said with the hint of a growl in his voice that made her thighs clench. She swallowed, captivated by his eyes, unable to look away.

"I can see why you're popular with the girls, talking like that." She joked, stumbling over her words, trying to dispel the hold he currently had on her. He never wavered.

"None of them compare to you…" He launched into another fierce kiss, his hands roaming the gentle curves of her body, and all she could think to do was relent.

Mikoto's body was on fire. She gasped and moaned, responding to every sensation she felt earnestly, any fear or embarrassment she previously felt now completely extinguished. She felt Naruto turn her and walk her backwards towards the bed, all the while still locked in a kiss. They tumbled, and the next thing she knew, she was on her back, with him on top of her, kissing her neck and using one hand to caress her breast. She wrapped an arm around his back, and with her other free hand she gripped his hair, keeping him kissing exactly were he was. He seemed to notice how much she was enjoying it and redoubled his efforts, flicking his tongue across the her sensitive skin and grazing her gently with his teeth. She bucked beneath him, with no particular rhythm, just needing more, and more, and more. He moved around to the other side of her face and kept kissing her neck, while rolling his thumb across her hardened nipple.

Mikoto whined as he pulled away. Naruto looked down and smiled breathlessly, captivated by the sight of her flushed cheeks and dark eyes beneath him. She was so much more beautiful, and sexy, than he had ever dreamt. He leant down and kissed her on the lips briefly.

"Still ok?" He whispered sweetly. She nodded and licked her lips.

"Keep going…" She whispered back in a low tone that made Naruto throb with desire. He didn't know what would happen after today. Perhaps this would be the only time they would be together like this. Whatever the case, he was determined to take this chance while he had it. He had wanted her for so long. He was going to make sure that she never forgot this night, and would never regret it. He kissed her chin next, and then again on her chest, peppering her breasts as he inched lower and lower at an agonizingly slow pace.

"Naru…" He heard her moan as his lips and tongue teased her. He smirked up at her and crawled further back, kissing down her until her reached her groin.

Mikoto's heart thumped in her chest. She could hardly stand it. Naruto's kisses sent electricity shooting through her. Every hair stood on end and she almost whimpered at the playful pace he was approaching her womanhood. He was so close now. _God please I need it._ She anticipated feeling his lips and tongue on her, and groaned in disappointment when she felt him pass by her groin completely, instead, kissing the inside of her left knee. She quivered as he slowly kissed up the inside of her thigh. She looked down and his eyes met hers. Naruto's gaze was filled with roguish arousal. She could tell he was enjoying making her squirm. He ascended slowly, inch by inch his soft lips planting chaste kisses on the smooth skin along the inside of her leg, up, and up, and up. He got agonizingly close once again, before moving down and over to her right knee this time. Mikoto almost sobbed. His teasing was too much. Her legs shook and it took all her self control not to beg him to stop torturing her.

Naruto was enjoying himself to the fullest. He could feel every tremble in her body as he slowly, methodically teased her. He couldn't recall any partner in his admittedly short list of previous sexual encounters that had responded so strongly to his touch. It ignited something deep inside that made him want to hear Mikoto say is name and moan so sinfully for him again and again. Then without warning, he felt Mikoto's hand in his hair. He looked up. She was glaring down at him, breathing hard. Her face was flushed, her eyes filled with lust, and maybe a hint of annoyance. He felt her tug on his hair, not painfully so, but just enough to get across her point. Mikoto was done being teased. Her assertiveness aroused Naruto even more. He was more than happy to relent and finally give her what she wanted. He moved forward, licking his lip as he eyed her glistening womanhood.

Mikoto felt his tongue against her sex. She shuddered, gasping his name. He might not have been the most experienced lover in the world, but he more than made up for it with enthusiasm. She felt Naruto lick slowly from bottom to top, whilst flicking his tongue back and forth in rapid motions. Mikoto's hips bucked uncontrollably, with no particular rhythm, just reacting with pure pleasure and instinct, needing to feel more of what he was doing to her. She tugged on his hair again, pushing him against her, so close his nose and lips brushed against her labia.

"God… Naruto…" She gasped, feeling him suddenly pick up the pace in response.

Naruto hummed as worked, following his instincts and listening to his partner as best her could, seeking out the right spots, and the best motions to drive her wild. He give her a long, slow lick, savouring the sharp taste of her as he went. It was invading all of his senses, and still he wanted more. He redoubled his efforts, flicking his tongue every which way he could. He thrusting it inside her, and then moved up to swirl it around he swollen clitoris, while using his fingers to replace the stimulation of his tongue. Mikoto bucked wildly beneath him, filling the room with pleas and shrieks of pleasure.

Mikoto had her eyes firmly shut as Naruto pleasured her like no man ever had before. She felt heat pooling in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh god Naru… I'm so close…" She begged. They had only just started, and already she was on the edge. Her cry seemed to spur the young man on even more. He suddenly applied suction to her clit, while thrusting his fingers in and out of her at a relentless speed. Mikoto felt her legs clench inward, which she had no control over, and squeeze the sides of his head. Her chest heaved as she took fast, shallow breaths, reaching up to caress one of her own breasts. She wanted to get herself there, to help the handsome young man push her to her climax and let it sweep her away… but not yet. There was something else she wanted, needed. They both did. With more reluctance than she had ever felt in her life, she pulled Naruto away from her dripping sex. She looked at him and smirked. His hair was messy, but painfully attractive, and his chin was glistening with her fluids.

Naruto looked back at the beautiful dishevelled woman curiously.

"That good?" He gasped, licking his lips and wiping his chin with the back of his hand.

"Amazing…" Mikoto panted back.

"Why'd you wanna stop? I can keep going…" He offered. Mikoto seemed to seriously consider it, but shook her head.

"Because I need you to fuck me…" She whispered, spreading her legs a little further apart. Naruto stared at her, feeling his manhood throb at her words. _Oh fuck, it's happening…_ He nodded dumbly, starting to move, then halted abruptly.

"Shit, I don't have a condom on me!" He exclaimed. Mikoto cocked her head, as though caught off guard.

"Top draw…" She muttered, nudging her head towards the dresser on the right hand side of the bed. Naruto eyes snapped to it, and his hand shot out, scrambling to get it open. He distantly heard Mikoto chuckle as he rummaged, and quickly found a small square packet. He glanced back towards the dark haired woman, who was thoroughly enjoying his look of excitement and confusion.

"Don't look at me like that, I have a sex life too you know…" she purred. Naruto grinned back at her. He had never met anyone who could get him this excited with just a few simple words. He wondered if that was for his benefit. _I'm not sure she realizes how seductive she really is…_

He unwrapped the condom in record time, and made even shorter work rolling it down his engorged manhood. Once it was fully unrolled, he shifted up the bed, bringing his hips in line with hers. They looked at each other. Suddenly the reality of the situation came hurtling back to Naruto. Sasuke's mom was beneath him, laying there naked and quivering with need. How many times had he pictured this, or something like it? How many times had he pleasured himself throughout the years, picturing her slender, tempting curves. Or imagining her modest yet alluring cleavage bare and exposed to him. How often had her unbelievably beautiful face leapt into his mind when he was on the cusp of release, the image of her gorgeous smile pushing him over the edge. And now she was here, practically begging for him. But if they did this, what would happen? Could they go on like normal afterwards? Naruto didn't know. He only knew he was well passed the point of no return. The only thing that could stop him now was her. If she had any reservations, he would honour them. Otherwise, it was going to happen. He wanted her. Consequences by damned.

A moment passed, and Mikoto seemed to sense Naruto's internal conflict. She reached down and grasped his erection. They locked eyes with each other, both panting, and a thin sheen of sweat on their skin. Mikoto began to stroke Naruto with a slow, steady rhythm, keeping him hard. She shifted her hips, scooting up a little to bring her entrance in line with him.

"Are you sure?" He asked, his voice thick with arousal. He was clearly more than sure. All she had do to was say the word and he'd do whatever she wanted. She looked about his face, scanning the thin whisker-like scars, his glorious golden hair, (already thoroughly tousled), and then back to his bright blue eyes. All she could think about was how sexy he looked, with his cheeked flushed and gazing back at Mikoto like he was going to devour her.

"I want you…" she uttered, and was completely sure of it. Naruto gulped, and nodded, giving her a smile and leaning down to briefly kiss her lips.

She guided the head of his manhood to her entrance. Naruto breathed deeply, and as slowly as he could, pushed his hips forward, sinking inside of her barely an inch. He gasped feeling the intense warmth surround the tip of his cock. Mikoto's mouth hung open, with her face displaying an emotion that was somewhere between surprise and wonderment. Naruto had a nearly all consuming urge to thrust into her as deeply as he could, to feel that heat completely surround him. He clenched his eyes shut and breathed slowly, trying to focus. He thought that if he looked down and saw her looking back at him then he wouldn't last long at all. He felt a warm hand tenderly cup his cheek. He opened his eyes, and saw Mikoto smiling at him. She gave him a single nod, granting him permission. He nodded in return, and pushed his hips again, groaning at how tight and hot she felt around his cock.

Mikoto's eyes rolled back as Naruto's manhood filled her. The pace he had set was so indulgent it made her toes curl. She bit her lip, feeling him withdraw lazily. Then he thrust in a little faster. She bucked her hips against him involuntarily, letting out a moan while she felt his hand on her breast, kneading the soft flesh without breaking his stride. Mikoto opened her eyes and looked at him. Naruto's eyes were clenched shut, his brow furrowed from intense concentration. He was holding back, and using all of his willpower to do so. She brought his face down to hers and kissed him, getting his attention.

"Don't hold back Naruto…" Mikoto whispered into his ear. He opened his eyes, and scanned her face, before he nodded.

Naruto began thrusting his hips faster, revelling in the sensations of being inside Mikoto. She breathed in sharply and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder. He cradled her head with one hand while propping himself up with the other. The room quickly filled with the sounds of their incoherent voices mingling, the bed beneath them creaking, and their hips slapping together. All the previous fantasies Naruto had conjured up about her paled in comparison to the real thing. The way her pussy hugged his cock with velvety softness was divine, and threatened to make him climax soon. He felt her legs wrap around his hips, her ankles linking just above his behind, making there bodies join as closely as possible. His body tingled like never before, starting in the pit of his stomach, but also in every limb. He thrusted into her at a furious pace, unable to stop himself, the delicious heat around him driving him wild.

"Mikoto… fuck…" he growled into her ear.

"Yes, yes, Naruto!" He felt her body tense up. She was moaning his name like a mantra, increasing in volume as they moved together, kissing and groping one another frantically. Hearing her voice cry out for him like that brought him dangerously close to the edge. It was everything he had ever fantasized and so much more. Their lips met in kisses that were messy, and inaccurate, but no less scintillating.

Mikoto was the first to reach her climax. Her whole body suddenly went taut. Her finger nails dug into Naruto's back, and her thighs clenched on either side of his waist. Naruto kissed her neck, cheek and ear relentlessly, continuing to fuck her. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream of ecstasy, and then with a final loud groan, Mikoto's hips jolted, and her vision burst into starlight. The rest of the world faded as she road the waves of her orgasm, the only other thing present to her was the hard, hot length filling her, connecting to the source of her pleasure.

Seeing and hearing her come undone like that was the last straw for Naruto. He buried himself as deep as he could inside her, then with a shudder and a load groan, he came. His cock pulsed repeatedly, each time sending another volley of pleasure through him. He felt even more warmth around his manhood, as the condom was quickly filled with his seed. Eventually, the pleasure subsided, and Naruto's body relaxed.

The pair held one another, panting for breath. Mikoto unhooked her legs and brought them back down to the mattress gingerly. Naruto carefully pulled back, letting his softening cock slide out of her. She made a soft whine, suddenly realizing she'd rather he hadn't pull out just yet. He lay beside her on his side, and she turned to face him also. He smiled in the way only he could.

"That was…" Naruto started, then paused, failing to find the words. Mikoto nodded in agreement anyway. _Amazing?… Unforgettable?… Perfect?…_ she thought. He reached his arm forward and placed his hand on her hip, making small circles with his thumb. It took a few more moments for Mikoto to fully come down from her orgasm, the last tingles of pleasure fading steadily. She looked at her blonde lover for a few moments, watching a droplet of sweat drip down his brow. _Not really the way to go about ending this_ , she thought humourlessly.

"Are you ok?" Naruto asked. Mikoto wondered too. After a little while, she nodded.

"Yes, I am." She said, because it was true. She was more than ok with what they'd just done. It had been a moment of weakness, both of them giving in to their desires, but she also knew it had been much more than that.

"You were incredible… no one's ever made me cum that hard…" He said contemplatively. Mikoto felt a small surge of pride. _Still got it…_ she thought, barely stopping herself from giggling.

"So were you. That was…" She paused. What was it exactly? More than just good. It had been special. She hadn't had chemistry like that with anyone before, sexually or otherwise. She wasn't sure how to put it into words, but thankfully Naruto nodded, seeming to understand what she was thinking. "Thank you." She finished. The blonde just smiled and pecked her on the lips.

Naruto got off the bed, disposed off the used condom in a small waste basket, and rejoined Mikoto, laying beside her. They linked hands and enjoyed the silence, basking in their shared afterglow, Mikoto in particular still feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm course through her. After a few minutes, Naruto spoke.

"You… wanna go another round?" He asked, beginning to rock his hips as he got his second wind, a cocky grin spreading across his face. _Again? Already?_ Mikoto laughed breathlessly.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up with you..." She replied. They both chuckled, caressing each other gently, exchanging kisses that were at first sweet and innocent, but quickly became heated and passionate once more. And when Mikoto felt his hard cock pressing against her, twitching in anticipation, she suddenly found that she very much could go again.


	8. Pillow Talk

Mikoto woke first. Her eyes fluttered open, wincing a little as thin rays of light pierced through her bedroom blinds. She was laying on her back, and felt a warm body beside her. It took a few moments to register just who it was, but as the post-sleep haze lifted, she quickly pieced it together. Images of the night before flashed in her mind's eye.

_She felt him grip her waist as he rocked forward, her hands and knees shaking as she tried to support herself…_

_He gazed at her with wide eyed amazement as she rose up, her hands on his broad chest, then sunk back down suddenly, making him gasp…_

_Their legs tangled together whilst they held one another tightly, grinding their hips and kissing with passion, totally lost in each other…_

Mikoto sighed. _Too late to regret it now,_ she thought. Though she realized she wasn't actually feeling regretful at all, which was somewhat of a surprise.

Mikoto stretched her legs and arched her back to remove some of the stiffness she felt, and then turned her head to look at her lover, cuddling into her side. Her first thought was that, frankly, Naruto looked adorable. He had one leg draped over her thigh, and an arm over her flat stomach, holding her opposite hip. He seemed to have a look of wonderment on his handsome, boyish face, despite being fast asleep. His mouth hung open and he snored lightly, making a sound like a series of drawn out, whispered sighs. Mikoto smiled, spending a few moments admiring his peaceful face. She considered waking him, but decided against it, thinking he might need to catch up on some sleep, given how long they were up the night before. She remembered it was late when they had finally collapsed in a sweaty heap, cuddling silently before fatigue caught up with her. Now she guessed it was mid-morning, if not close to midday. She carefully turned herself a little more towards him, and gently placed her left arm over his waist, before settling back comfortably on the bed.

 _This isn't how I expected the summer to start_ , Mikoto mused. It had been merely a week or so earlier when the younger man had stumbled to her door step, barely able to tell up from down, and confessed his attraction to her. She had laughed it off, turning him down gently, and yet, here they were. She wondered how it had gotten like this. Was she feeling that lonesome, that she'd turn to her best friend's son for comfort and relief? She didn't think so. Even during the moments when she had felt the most isolated over the years, she hadn't allowed someone to get so intimate with her this quickly. She didn't need a quick fling to make herself feel better. It wasn't about that. It was about the person she was with. It was Naruto.

He had always been a charming boy, thoroughly likeable and endearing to everyone her met, but the last few days had shown her a side to him that she hadn't ever seen, or considered before. He was a man now, head strong and passionate as ever, but also mature, and thoughtful. Growing up had subdued his rampant childhood enthusiasm, but he hadn't lost it. And, Mikoto would be lying if she was to say she didn't enjoy his appearance. She certainly had the previous night, relishing the chance to look at, and touch, his toned, lean body. There was no denying she felt a powerful attraction to him in every way.

But the fundamental issue still remained. How could they be anything more, when there families were so close? How could she look Kushina in the eye and tell her that the man she most wanted right now, the man that had showed her the most respect, and had easily outshone all other man she'd been with in two decades, had been her son.

_Hi Kushina! How's work?… Oh I know, right? By the way, can I borrow Naruto while he's back for the summer? He's the best lover I've ever had and I need him to fuck me senseless. Thanks!_

She could have never guessed how good it would be. In their few hours together they had done so much that looking back at it, it was all a blur of sensations. More importantly, Naruto hadn't pushed her into anything. He was respectful of her boundaries and constantly checked to make sure she was ok before proceeding, and she couldn't be more thankful for that.

Mikoto was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she almost flinched when a tired voice spoke all of a sudden.

"Morning." Naruto crooked with a smile, making the woman look at him in surprise.

"Oh, good morning." She replied.

"Sleep ok?"

"Yes I did, you?"

"Mmhm, I slept great…" There was a pause. Naruto carefully studying her face and shifting under the covers uncomfortably.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to kick you out of bed." Mikoto said good-humouredly.

"Yea, guess you would have done that by now... So, are you ok… with last night?" He asked hesitantly.

"Yes, I think I am," she nodded. "How about you?"

"Yea, I mean, it's something I've thought about for a long time, and I still can't believe it happened." His mouth burst into a grin. Mikoto chuckled.

"Did I live up to your expectations?" She teased gently.

"Yea, you were amazing! I've imagined how good it would be, with you, but it was all so much more than I imagined!" He said excitedly. She laughed again and wiggled herself a little further under the covers. _Still got it_ , she thought.

"I'm glad you thought so. I was worried I'd be a little out of practice."

"No way, you were awesome! No girl I've been with has been that good! Not that I've been with many, but you know what I mean." Naruto scratched the back of his head. "Uhm, and how was it for you? Was I… good?"

"Yes Naruto, you were good. Really good." She said, feeling her cheeks flush as a wide beaming grin spread on Naruto's face again. "Don't go getting cocky, no one likes a brag."

"How could I not? The woman of my dreams said I was really good!" He propped himself up on one arm, looking down at her slightly, while moving his finger tips in lazy circles on her hip. "So, how would you rate me, on a scale of one to ten?" He asked roguishly.

 _Ten,_ was her immediate thought.

"Mmmm, I suppose I'd say… nine, nine and a half?" Mikoto teased, finding a great

"Wow! What was the half point? Where can I improve?" He followed up cheekily.

"Nothing specific really." Mikoto found herself smiling broadly, enjoying their flirtatious conversation. "I guess we'll just need to try again and put you through your paces…" She said it a deliberately teasing tone.

"A…again? You wanna do it again?" Naruto looked at her like his eyes might pop out of his head. She laughed and considered for a moment. _Shouldn't get his hopes up._

"I'd like too, yes, though I'm not sure if we can. The boys will be back in a few days. We probably won't have opportunities to do this again before you go back to college, and, I don't know, maybe that's for the best." She admitted, sounding slightly defeated. Naruto propped himself up on his elbow to look at her more seriously.

"In what way?"

"Naruto, I really enjoyed last night. You were amazing…. The best I've ever had honestly." He started to smile again, but she quickly shot it down with a playfully stern look. "And the dates were lovely. You were so sweet and I could see myself enjoying more with you. But I'm so much older than you, your mom is my closest friend, Sasuke is yours, and he's your roommate. It's just… I can only see this being messy." Mikoto ran her hand up and down his side, feeling his warm skin as her fingers ghosted over it.

"I know it would be hard, I've gone over it in my head so many times too, but this just feels right, doesn't it? I want to be with you so much Mikoto." She felt a yearning in her chest as his big blue eyes gazed into hers, full of emotion and longing. He wasn't wrong. Thing did feel right between them. They had a kind of instant connection that she had never felt with anyone else. But did that alone make it acceptable?

"Naruto… it isn't that simple…" Mikoto started.

"I know it could be weird for our families and stuff, but… m-maybe we could convince them or something." He stumbled over his words, sounding like he wasn't so sure of it himself.

"It's not just that Naruto… What about your life?" She said.

"What do you mean?" He asked dumbly.

"Well, I assume some day you might want to get married and settle down?" She asked him. Naruto looked stupefied.

"Y-yea, I mean, sure, but that's not something that would stop… us, right?"

"I'm fourty-one. You're barely twenty. By the time you're my age, I'll be in my sixties…" She visibly grimaced. "Are you sure you'd want to be with someone that much older then?... And what about kids?" Naruto looked at her stunned, his mouth opening and closing a few times but not making a sound.

"K…Kids?"

"I've already had kids. Been there, done that. I'm not looking to have more children at his point in my life. After raising the boys… It's time for me to be a bit selfish, and make my own life my priority now. Would you be alright with not having children?" Her questions, combined with the seriousness of her gaze, had Naruto speechless.

Naruto swallowed. He wasn't prepared to think about such heavy questions, and hadn't really considered them at all before. His fantasies of being with Mikoto had always been that. Fantasy. He had never tried to work out the actual logistics of what a real relationship with her might entail. The gap in their age seemed even more apparent when she put it the way she had. A few moments passed before Naruto turned and spoke.

"At sixty, if you're a fraction as beautiful then as you are now, you'll still be incredible." He said giving a trademark smile. Mikoto rolled her eyes at his comment, though Naruto was sure she looked more than a little smug too. He rolled onto his back slowly, bringing his arm and leg off her body. He looked up at the ceiling.

"As for kids, I'm not sure… I like the idea of being a dad I s'pose. I wouldn't say my heart's set on it or anything, but… it might be nice I guess." Mikoto nodded as she listened. "I don't really know about any of that to be honest. I can't say what I've feel like in five, ten, or twenty years. All I know right now is that I want you Mikoto-san…" He said, turning to look at her.

Mikoto lifted her arms and brought her hand to his cheek, running it along the side of his head and brushing some strands of his soft hair. She smiled at him apologetically.

"I wish I had your conviction Naruto-kun." She whispered. He nodded and smirked back at her. "I'm sorry."

"It's ok. We had an amazing night. I wouldn't trade that for anything." Naruto said truthfully. If it had to be a one time thing, then it had been as incredible as he could have hoped for.

"Naruto… I want you to know I've really enjoyed being with you… You're a wonderful man." Mikoto said earnestly. Naruto smiled warmly at her.

"T-thanks… You're amazing too Mikoto. I hope I can get a woman half as good as you one day." The older woman smirked, and Naruto through he noticed her cheeks turning a slightly reddish hue.

"I'm sure you will. Just do what you've done with me and you can win over anyone you want." She said softly. "I think I'm the one in trouble now though. You've set the bar very high. I hope I can meet a man who can live up to your standards." Mikoto joked. "I also hope that whatever happens, we can still be friendly after this."

"Sure we can! Why couldn't we?"

"Things might change now we've had sex…"

"Well I've been imagining that since I was like, twelve, so I don't think… oww!" Naruto yelped in mock pain as Mikoto playfully slapped his arm.

"Don't be strange." She replied. Naruto chuckled.

"Sorry." The pair lay for a few moments, feeling the previous tension lift. Naruto noticed Mikoto glancing further down his body and he followed her gaze to its destination.

"Oh… morning wood, huh?" She joked, looking at the slight tent formed beneath the covers at his waist. Naruto scratched his head and laughed sheepishly.

"At first, but the serious talk made it go away, then you said "sex", so it came back."

"Easily excited it seems." Mikoto shook her head.

"With someone as sexy as you…" Naruto said, his voice noticeably lower in tone.

"You're veering into danger..." She warned.

"Danger's not a bad thing…" Naruto said, reaching up to brush a few messy strands of black hair from Mikoto's face. "Think we have some time right now? One last round?"

"You're pushing your luck…" Mikoto whispered, as her mouth turned into a grin to mirror his. "But I think so…" she added, her dark eyes locked with his, glinting with desire. Naruto smile widened almost comically, as he leant forward to kiss her. Distantly, Mikoto was aware that she should put an end to this before it started, that no good would come of it. But once their lips met, she was once again overtaken with an all consuming desire for the younger man, and there was no stopping it.

They began to passionately kiss, picking up right from where they left the night before. Naruto heard Mikoto hum against his lips, sending shivers through him. The pair moved closer together. Naruto ran his hands over the raven haired mother's slender body, savouring the feel of her soft skin and gentle curves. He reached up, cupping her breast, and rolling his thumb over her nipple teasingly. After just a few hours of intimacy, he though he already had a decent idea of what she liked, and how to illicit the best response from her. Mikoto seemed to enjoy his touch very much, as it provoked her to move in response.

Mikoto placed her palm against his broad chest, then let it slide down his body. He gasped as he felt her fingers wrap around his hard shaft, and moaned her name as she begin pumping him. Her grip was firm, but loose enough for her hand to slide over his sensitive skin easily, and her pace was tantalizing slow to begin with. Mikoto began to speed up, enough to make the younger blonde tremble and hold on to her. Then, a few seconds later, she would slow down again. Over and over she stroked him with varying degrees of speed and grip, drawing sinfully erotic sounds from him.

"Fuck… H-How are you… this good with just your hand?" He asked, his voice trembling.

"I'm good at a lot of things…" Mikoto replied, her voice dripping with lust. Naruto only groaned in reply, thrusting his hips into her hand, feeling her precum coated fingers spreading the slick fluid over his manhood, making it even easier to slide through her grip.

Then Naruto's phone started ringing.

The pair stopped, both of them grunting in disappointment. Naruto knew who it would be without even needing to check the caller's name. He rolled over, fishing his phone from the pocket of his jeans on the floor, then took a steadying breath as he raised it to his ear.

"Naruto, where are you? I thought you said were just going out for a few hours?" He heard his mother ask in a sharp tone.  
"S-sorry mom, I was just, out with they guys… and Kiba offered to let me stay at his place, so I crashed there… here." Naruto said, the improvised lie tumbling from lips easily.

"Is it really that hard to just tell me if you're going to be staying somewhere for the night? You had me worried." Kushina said, her tone a little less sever, though still clearly annoyed.

"I'm sorry mom, I just… lost track of time, you know…" Naruto's eyes met Mikoto's, and he thought he caught a sliver of guilt in them.

"Are you ok? Do you need me to pick you up?" His mother asked.

"N-no! No… I'm fine… I'll… be right over…K, love you, see you soon…" Naruto put the phone down and looked at Mikoto disappointedly. "Guess that's the universe's way off telling us to stop, huh?" He grumbled.  
"Was she mad?" Mikoto asked timidly.

"Yea. Guess I can't blame her after last time. She worries about you me drinkin'… you know…" Naruto shrugged and reluctantly got to his feet, looking for his discarded clothes that were scattered on the floor. "I gotta go. She might storm over to Kiba's lookin' to kick my ass." He said with a humourless smirk. Mikoto got up as well, finding some tissues for them both to clean up the evidence of there attempted activities. After putting on a robe to cover herself, Mikoto turned to the younger man and shook her head, watching him frantically try to get his socks back on and nearly falling over in the process.

A few minutes later the pair walked to the front door. Naruto patted his pockets, making sure he had his keys, wallet and phone, while Mikoto give him one last inspection. His hair was a mess, or at least, more of a mess than usual, but perhaps that could be passed off as being from a night of sleeping on his friends floor, rather than from several hours of sex. His clothes were heavily creased too, but again that could be attributed to being worn all night. Overall, she thought Naruto should get by without questioned to heavily.

Naruto turned to her and smiled sadly.

"Thanks again Mikoto-san…" He said softly.

"Take care…" Mikoto said, moving closer and hugging him. "...and thank you." Naruto slowly put his arms around her, holding her for a few moments, then looking down and giving her one last chaste kiss. They let go of one another, and Mikoto opened the door for him. They said their goodbyes and Mikoto watched as Naruto quickly walked down the path, on to the street, and then out of view. Once he was gone, she closed the door and leaned against it.

"Naruto-kun…" She muttered, smiling to herself. _Why'd you have to fall for him?_ She thought.

**o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o - o**

Naruto was relieved to find his mother had cooled off after the phone call, so he didn't receive any more of her anger when he got home, just a light telling off, that he graciously accepted. Kushina had seemed to believe the story of him staying at Kiba's easily enough. He prayed she wouldn't follow up on it to thoroughly.

Once Naruto had secreted himself gotten up to his room, he sighed in relief and fell onto his bed, looking up at the ceiling. _Did that all really happen?_ He thought. He had genuine thought he and Mikoto they were just going to have a talk, but it had turned into so much more, so fast. As horny as he could get, even he had never felt such unrelenting desire for woman before.

Naruto glanced at his phone, noticing several messages he had missed earlier in the morning, all from his mother, except for one. That one was from Sasuke.

_Hey dobe, my train gets into town at 4. Still ok to pick me up?_

Naruto blinked dumbly at the screen. Before returning home for the summer, Sasuke had said he'd get the train back home, and asked Naruto if he could pick him up. The recent events had caused it to completely slip his mind.

_Yo! Sure, I'll be there. I'll park right outside the station._

A few seconds later Sasuke replied with a thumbs up. Naruto put down the phone and laughed to himself. _How am I gonna look him in the eye after last night?_ Naruto imagined his friend's stern, unimpressed face, which then quickly morphed into the beautiful woman he'd spent the previous night with. He felt his manhood twitch again as thoughts of Mikoto flooded his mind. Naruto groaned in annoyance, wishing they could have finished what they'd started earlier. Instead he'd have to settle for the memories of the night before, which were more than enough to help bring him to a swift climax.


End file.
